


Ties of Destiny

by Kami_no_Namida



Category: Junjou Romantica
Genre: Author's attempts at poetry, Drama, M/M, Mpreg, Multiple Points of View, Romance, Slash, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-05
Updated: 2013-11-24
Packaged: 2017-12-28 12:48:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 43,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/992186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kami_no_Namida/pseuds/Kami_no_Namida
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Once upon a time, there was a "Kingdom of Dreams" ruled by king Yoh. He is being pursued by Shinobu, a boy with a secret which dwells in the past... Is it only a destiny Shinobu knows of though? Or is there more to the story?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Means of Destiny

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Sadly enough I don't own any of the Nakamura Shungiku's characters... though I'll eventually own OC's I make (^3^)
> 
> Anyway:  
> Hi there,  
> this is another of my ff.net stories, which I am putting here (o3o). (I'm "Kami-no-Namida" there, in case you wanted to take a look ;))  
> The story will not differentiate from that one, aside from maybe having less comments from my side, given that it's some time since I've published it first.  
> Also... In "Pieces of a Heart", the other JR fanfic of mine I explained what the japanese names/phrases meant through "acronym function" - meaning you'd point at the thing and the meaning would show up... but I want you guys to not have to wait that long for chapter, and that is what eats it up the most... I'll just leave the explanations in square brackets :p  
> I hope you will find the time and will to comment on this story as it is the source of my energy.  
> Love you all (^0^)  
> See ya~ ( "-.-)/

(Shinobu's POV)

_I once had a dream... A dream about the one I fell in love with at a first sight... The one who saved me, when I was about to be sullied..._

_It was a peaceful dream, we were sitting under a blooming Sakura tree... watching the sunset together._

_However not all dreams are to come true... some do, and the rest just disappears in depths of the well of unfulfilled wishes..._

_But once... just once... I'd want to see a dream of mine turn into reality._

^(OwO)^ (change of POV)

(Third Person's POV)

Once upon a time, there was one kingdom.

It was a kingdom where magical beings lived among humans. Where  _everyone_  wanted to live, for it would be under the supervision of a wise and fair king Yoh, whom everyone loved.

The name of the kingdom was Yume no Oukoku  _[kingdom of dreams]_.

Our hero, however is not a princess of the kingdom, nor is it a poor girl in need of help... no... It's a  _boy_  who needs help... since he's gotten himself in some really bad situation.

^(O.O)^ (another scene, same POV)

"LET ME GO YOU IDIOT!" the boy screamed throughout the market, startling everyone, but mostly the guard who caught him by the wrist.

"You stole that... didn't you?" the guard said, pointing at the bread the boy held, while evaluating the boy's clothing and overall appearance.

"ARE YOU  _DUMB_  OR WHAT?!"

"I'll take you to the palace..." the guard sighed gripping the boy's wrist as he started pulling him to the guard post where the other guard was already waiting, bringing the rope to tie the boy's wrists.

As the guard brought his hands closer the boy bit him.

It  _did_  take some time until the rope was finally tied however it was not really long after and the two guards and the tied, screaming, biting and  _angry_  boy finally were to go to the palace.

"I SAID I DID NOT STEAL THAT GODDAMN BREAD!"

^(O.O)^

Meanwhile in the palace there was a discussion going on.

It was discussion of the king himself and his council of Lords. They talked about the politics, the economics and the overall state of the kingdom, but most of all, it was about the situation that came up recently.

The offer of a king of Chie no Oukoku  _[should mean kingdom of wisdom, but I'm not really sure ^^;]_.

King Takatsuki offered a marriage bonding of the two countries offering so hand of his only child, Risako, to the king.

And the said king was not very happy about it.

Yoh sighed and was about to say something when a loud noise came from the main hall.

As the ruckus did not seem to want to die down, but - quite the opposite - increased its intensity, one of the Lords – Usami – stood up to go and take care of it.

The king only nodded and the silver-haired Lord left the room.

As the door clicked shut the king sighed again.

^(O.O)^

"I say that for the last time... I  _DID **NOT**_  STEAL ANYTHING!" The boy yelled at the guard, punching him with his tied wrists.

The other guard was just about to shout back to the boy, when he saw a glimpse of silver hair. When he turned to it, he saw the Lord standing at the staircase, watching the scene before him with amusement.

The boy saw how speechless the guard was made and turned to the Lord.

"HEY YOU! You're someone important here, aren't you? Tell this goddamn idiot that HE'S WRONG!"

The guard burned red with anger. "How dare you! This is the great Lord Usami himself, you're not worthy to be even the  _mud_  on his boots!" the guard yelled, raising his hand to hit the boy.

But just as the hand was about to hit the boy's face...

"Stop!"

... a voice rang through the hall loudly.

The guard stared dumbly at the Lord, him being the owner of the voice. "Why?" was clearly written all over his face.

"He's funny." The Usami smirked, looking at the boy. 'I think Yoh will like him.' he added to himself, chuckling imagining his calm friend trying to deal with the hot-headed boy. It was an amusing idea.

"You're dismissed." the Lord said to the guard, who only gathered the other guard who still sat on the floor and left.

The Lord then walked down the staircase, standing in front of the boy who took a position as if he waited for the Lord to attack him.

"No worries, kid... What's your name?"

"Shinobu..." the boy mumbled, staring intensely at the ropes on his hands. It did not take long and it went aflame, turning to ashes within seconds.

'So he's a fire user?' The Usami thought.

"Why didn't you do it sooner?"

"These dimwits would only take it as a proof against me, something along the line of escaping the rightful punishment...  _idiots_." Shinobu muttered as he massaged his wrists from which almost invisibly small burn marks, from the ashes only apparently, disappeared quickly.

'And good at the control of it...' the Usami added to himself.

"Shinobu... how does that continue?"

"I don't have a surname to use anymore." Shinobu mumbled, finding the pattern of the floor very interesting all of sudden.

The Usami decided to leave it be for then.

"So... Shinobu no-surname-to-use... Would you want a job here?"

"Me? A job? Why would you offer me one?" Shinobi asked, confused about the man's offer.

"You seem like in need of one… besides you're funny."

As Usami said that flicks of fire started dancing before his face.

"Don't you dare tell me I'm funny… I did not come here to be a sort of entertainment for the rich." Shinobu growled letting the fire he created burn the tips of Lord Usami's bangs.

"Why did you come here then?" Usami asked as he saw that the meeting he's been part of has been dismissed and all the Lords and the king came out of the room, walking into various directions in the palace.

Usami did not miss that the boy has followed the king with his eyes as the man came down the stairs and headed to palace gardens.

"It was a destiny."

^(OwO)^

(Miyagi's POV)

After Usami left to see what was happening in the halls some of the other Lords brought up the matter of marriage again.

I felt like sending them all into the depths of the Akuma no Oukoku _[kingdom of demons]_  and leave them there, but I had to control myself… I was a king after all.

Seeing that the meeting is not going to resolve anything at the time, I decided to dissolve it after few minutes.

I left the room as the last, massaging my temples hoping to get rid of migraine that decided to reside in there.

I walked down the stairs to go past Usami and some boy who apparently was the source of all the noise.

"Why did you come here then?" I heard Usami ask the boy.

I saw the boy reply as he reached to hold something on a thin chain he had around his neck.

'Why do I have a feeling that he was looking at me when he said that?' I thought as I entered the gardens, my eternal source of calmness.

However even walking through the gardens for hours did not those boy's words disappear from my mind.

'"It was a destiny..." he said... but what was?'


	2. Bounds Unbroken

(Shinobu's POV)

_It's been so long already…_

_Does he remember me?_

_Does he even want to?_

_Were the bonds we made strong enough?_

_Or did they shatter under the pressure of time?_

^(OwO)^

(Miyagi's POV)

"Is it just me, or is cabbage in the food more often lately?" I mused to myself, staring at the seemingly unburnt green slice of a certain vegetable.

This comment of mine seemed to amuse the Usami, who sat not too far from me, highly.

I glared at the man, not enjoying myself at all as I silently ate the food before me.

'It's not  _that_  bad though.'

^(OwO)^

(Shinobu's POV)

When I heard that silver-haired Lord offer me a job I expected something like cleaning the whole palace – or its toilets, but surprisingly it turned out quite good. I was to work the same jobs as a guy few years older than me, he's called Misaki.

Being assigned with him meant working in kitchen and in the garden.

I had quite a difficult time with both, since I never quite excelled in cooking – or was even good in it – nor was I good at tending flowers. Being a fire user had its quirks and not being able to take care of plants was a part of it.

Misaki on the other hand was a flower user, which meant that he had close to none offensive power, but was especially good with defences and had the ability to bring withered flowers back to life with a single touch. He was even good with tending to people, but his healings powers had its limits also.

And as for the work in the kitchen… well… let's just say that I never was good at cooking. I pretty much lived on bread I bought and ate whatever edible with it.

And there I was on my assignment in the kitchen. Once again cutting the cabbage which not only seemed to be the only thing within my arms reach, it was also the only thing I was more or less capable of doing… Though I was sure as hell that most people were getting sick of it already.

'I wonder… what does  _he_  think about it?' I sighed to myself.

'I hope he likes it at least a little bit.'

^(OwO)^

(Third Person's POV)

Shinobu walked through the palace accompanied by Misaki who was telling him about the people in the palace.

"Over there that is Nowaki-san, the main healer, he has the most powerful healing abilities I've ever seen. I heard that if he was to sacrifice half of his power, he would be able bring someone from the dead…" Misaki said waving at the tall man, who replied the same, then went after a way shorter brown-haired male.

"The one he just followed was Kamijou-san, his powers are mainly telekinesis, but I heard that there is more to his power… he's one of the Lords so I would not be surprised." Misaki sighed, scratching the back of his head, as he continued to walk through the hall with Shinobu who listened to him intently.

"When you look through that window you will be able to see Aikawa-san. She does not have any power of sort, but she's one of the few who can keep Lord Usami in check… Thus very useful."

"And what is the power of Lord Usami?" Shinobu asked, remembering the silver-haired man. "I did not get a chance to ask."

"Usagi-san?" Misaki started, but then blushed and quickly corrected himself. "Usami-san is a summoner. He summons bears of all weights and heights and I heard that his most powerful summon, Suzuki, is something you would not want to mess with… He has a memory supressing powers also… that's why he's called the most powerful man after the king... And I think that he really is… Those hypnotic eyes would entrance you in a second…" Misaki said, getting lost in his thoughts.

All these information told Shinobu that Misaki most probably had more than an "observer" interest in the man. He chuckled to himself, aware of his friend's lack of recognition to the feelings he had for the man.

Just as he wanted to tease Misaki about it he suddenly saw the ever-happy expression on the boy's face fall.

"What's wrong?" He asked immediately.

"Over there is Sumi-san…" Misaki mumbled, tilting his head in the direction of a silver-haired youth softly.

"Who's that?" Shinobu asked, frowning. He sensed Misaki's displeasure as he listened to Misaki's words… there was not much of appreciating of Lord Sumi in it.

"He's one of the Lords, no one likes him much though, all the other Lords are at least tolerable, but he… is not… Using his skill in a way that is so ungraceful would put his deceased parents to shame…"

'For Misaki to speak badly about someone that must really be something…' Shinobu thought, evaluating… then something Misaki said returned to his mind.

"What is his power, Misaki?"

"Vision. He enhanced it in a way that he can see people's weaknesses." Misaki whispered.

"How does that even …" 'work' Shinobu wanted to say, but was cut off by the person they just spoke about.

"What do we have here?" The silver-haired man smiled slyly, shortening the distance between them step by step. "You got yourself a new friend, Misaki? Are you sure you're not just a burden to him?"

Shinobu saw how Misaki flinched when the man said that… and he had no intention to just let this man's foul mouth to hurt his only friend like that.

"He's no burden to me…  _You are_!" Shinobu said, turning to Misaki to assure him of his words.

"Ah, really? Okay, then… I'll go… but before then… tell me… what is it that you have right… here?" He said as he was about to place his hand on Shinobu's chest.

The youth only stepped away from the Lord's reach, his hand immediately going to where the silver-head's was about to be placed.

He touched his most precious treasure under his shirt softly. He was afraid of losing the item, but was careful enough, to not tell the annoying man that. Instead he grabbed Misaki by his hand and turned to leave the room.

The man was about to smirk in victory when a butterfly made of fire landed on his nose… and exploded.

"Serves you right." Shinobu muttered to himself as he looked over his shoulder, enjoying the man's baffled expression. He was not about to let the man see the proof of the bond he had.

The only bond made in his life that –  _he hoped –_  stayed unbroken.

^(OwO)^

(Shinobu's POV)

_I ran aimlessly, trying to get away from the thugs that were following me._

_I was well aware that I had almost no chance to actually get away, but I wanted to at least try. I was not the one to give up easily. I never was._

„ _Hey cutie~" I heard from behind me._

_I felt disgusted by the man and wanted to throw a fire-ball, or some other flaming object at him, but as soon enough as the man grabbed my hand I could feel my powers being drained._

' _Is that his power?' I thought, panicking, being afraid to find out what others' powers were like._

_I managed to get from the grasp, as the man enjoyed the victory too soon and let his guard down._

_After that I ran for a long time, but after I run into a dead-end I could soon feel myself being pinned to the wall._

_Getting my shirt ripped off, I felt the man that caught me before drain my power as he touched me with his filthy hands…_

_I was not able to manage even a simple fire spell. I was doomed… or_ _so_ _I thought at least._

" _What do you think you are doing!"_

_A voice suddenly rang from behind the men._

_This startled everyone except for the man who still did not seem to have intent of letting me go, draining my power not-so slowly._

" _I'm enjoying myself." He replied._

_I felt so disgusted at that that I wanted to throw up… but I did not have power to do even that._

" _Then go enjoy yourself **elsewhere** **!"**  My saviour yelled as he struck the man, causing him to fly away from me._

" _T-thank you…" I somehow managed to whisper before my legs gave out._

_I thought I was going to fall on the ground, **hard** **,**  but I felt strong arms wrap around me._

" _You okay?" The black-haired man asked, looking at me worried._

_I wanted to reply, but before I could even utter a sound the darkness surrounded me._

^(O.O)^

I woke up crying over the familiar dream, which reflected my past, holding the ring on the slim chain around my neck, which I never took off.

I looked around, confused, realizing that I was not even in my room… Feeling a leaf fall onto my skin, seeing it getting dry soon, I realized that I managed to fall asleep under one of the trees in the palace's garden.

I was quite shocked by the fact, feeling a bit ashamed about it also… Yeah, it  _did_ shock me…

However what shocked me more was the man who stood not too far from me, looking at me curiously.

I saw him open his mouth… but the words that came out may as well have been daggers… it felt as if they were to me.

"Who are you?"


	3. All He Knows Is...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to say: The rating is meant for the latter chapters... I don't even know what THOSE should be rated though, never really knew where "M" ends and "E" starts :p

(Shinobu's POV)

_He forgot about me… he really did…_

_What is it that I am doing here then?_

^(OwO)^

(Miyagi's POV)

"Who are you?" I asked the boy I saw crying under one of the trees in the garden. It was a sights so beautiful, yet so immensely sad.

"Who are you?" I repeated, coming closer to the boy.

As I did I saw just how distressed he was, looking all dishevelled like that made him look kind of cute though. I wanted to ask about the reason for these tears, but then, suddenly, it disappeared. The sad look on his face disappeared as he wiped his face from the tears and smiled.

I could tell he was faking it. I decided not question it, though.

"So… who are you?" I asked for the third time, hoping to get the answer finally.

"Ah, sorry, my name is Shinobu." He said, bowing politely. "I work in kitchen and in the gardens… I only came here recently." He said, still holding that fake smile on his face.

"So this is the first time we met?" I asked. He seemed to think about it for a while then only nodded.

'I doubt that.' I thought to myself. There certainly was something that rang a bell somewhere deep,  _deep_  in my mind.

"Guess I should introduce myself also, then… but I think you know who I am already." I smiled softly. He only responded with another nod.

As I wanted to talk some more I heard one of the Lords calling for me.

"It was nice to meet you,  _Shinobu_ …" I smiled before turning in the direction of the castle and walked away. However I did not miss that soft sob that escaped those lovely lips as I did.

"Miyagi…"

^(O.O)^

I did not pay too much attention at the gathering, thoughts about Shinobu still filling my mind.

'We  _must have_  met before… almost no one uses my surname nowadays, given I go by my name only… almost no one  _knows it_  …unless  _I_  tell them specifically… there are four living people who know it only, Lords Kamijou and Usami, king Takatsuki and… who was the fourth person?'

As much as I searched my memory I could not come to a conclusion about that question.

'I'm certain there were  _four_  of them though.' I thought, sighing.

'Why is it so hard to remember?'

^(OwO)^

(Misaki's POV)

I came back to mine and Shinobu's shared room only to find the boy curled in a corner of the room, crying.

"Shinobu?... What's the matter?" I asked in a quiet voice, approaching him cautiously.

"He… he… do-doesn't remember…" Shinobu sobbed in response, crying even more so.

I suddenly remembered Shinobu talking about having a  _reason_ for being here… was it because someone close to him was here? Maybe even his lover?

Before I could ask anything more, Shinobu turned into wailing mess, refusing to listen to any reasoning.

He only cried and cried clutching something in his hand so forcefully that his knuckles turned to a whole new level of whiteness. I was kind of surprised that he did not burn the place down, yet.

"Shush… it's going to be all right." I whispered as I took the shivering boy in my arms.

"It's not… I went through so much because of him, yet… yet…  _Miyagi_ …" The name was said with so much pain that it almost made me tear up also.

'Miyagi, is that the one? Who's Miyagi? The name does not sound familiar to me…' I kept thinking as I kept rocking the devastated boy in a calming motion.

'How could that person forget someone like Shinobu? He  _does_  leave an impression.' I smiled sadly to myself in my mind.

Before I noticed it the wailing got quieter and quieter and he fell asleep. Yet even asleep he still talked. He repeated that person's name over and over along with those three lonely words.

"You promised me…"

^(O.O)^

Next day Shinobu acted as if nothing happened, though it was a miserable act as far as I could tell… I was a master of the specific art after all.

"We're on kitchen duty today." I informed him, to which he only nodded in response.

'He's really out of it.' I sighed, leading the boy who moved like a soulless doll to the kitchen. There I gave him the cabbage which he started cutting in absent-minded fashion. It looked as if the soul left the body.

Once the lunch was prepared we ate our share and I took him to the city.

I hoped it would help him get his mind off things at least for a while.

^(O.O)^

As we walked along the main road I saw a woman who presented herself as a fortune teller.

"Shall we try that?" I poked Shinobu. To my surprise some life seemed to have returned to him and he nodded.

"Welcome to Madam Mysteria. You look as if you need me to glimpse into future, to ease your mind, young man." She immediately turned to Shinobu.

"Depends on whether there will be a happy ending…" Shinobu muttered.

"Let's see about that." The woman winked and gestured Shinobu to sit on the other side of the table that separated her from us.

As soon as he did that the woman took out a pack of cards, motioning for Shinobu to shuffle them, which he did without comply. Soon enough the woman took out the first card.

"To know your future, you must look into your past first…" she said, before she pointed at the card. "The first card is associated with upbringing. You used to be well taken care of, even spoiled I dare to say, but after an evil magic took its toll on you… someone close to you turned everyone against you and you had to escape… Am I right?" The woman asked smiling approvingly as wide-eyed Shinobu nodded.

The woman took out second card, frowning. "You have once found love, but it was forcefully taken from you and now you are unable to reach this person…"

'Wow, seems pretty similar to what Shinobu has been saying yesterday.'

"… It  _is not,_   _his_  fault, however. His mind has been clouded by a spell and is unable to lift itself from the shadow it caused."

The woman took yet another card from the pack and continued. "First of all you must not push him… it would damage his mind. Try to get to him, retrace your steps. Take it one step at a time… He was caught in the web of your  _charm_  once… He might just need to get caught again…

If you give him small hints every now and then, he might eventually remember… All he knows right now is that there  _really_  is  _something_ intriguing about you." The woman smiled.

Shinobu sighed, but seemed more at ease now. As for me, I studied the woman. She seemed to know more than what could be read from cards. I suspected her to have the power of the sort. People like her were usually targets of money-hungry people.

As I was in my thoughts the woman continued.

"I'm sorry if it sounds too fragmentary from now, but future is always the hardest to look into." She apologized, took out six cards, turning the first.

"Reconcilement, bonding, promises… it is not a bad premonition, but it is usually bound to end quickly, see?" She asked, turning, then pointing at the second card.

"Trouble, in the near future, coming your way, or approaching you already… they are not deadly. At the moment, just be wary to give your trust to the right person." The woman said, focusing on the third card.

"Escape, running, confusions, illness… You'll probably have to escape to protect those who are dear to you…" As the woman looked at another card her expression eased up a bit.

"Rest, lifting of burdens, better times... Can be also associated with children…"

"I doubt that one…" Shinobu hissed. I was surprised at the venom in his voice. I felt it was not my place to interfere though.

"Stay calm my dear, I did not finish, yet…" Madam Mysteria said as she pointed at the card number five.

"Splitting, pain, lies, misunderstandings… In a way it should mean that you'll have a to go through a lot of pain to clear a misunderstanding, but… it can also mean that there are a lot of lies causing a misunderstanding which is associated with splitting up and pain… I'd guess that would be the one." The woman said with a little smile then looked at Shinobu.

"So are you ready to see whether you will have a happy ending?" She asked, holding her hand above the last card.

Shinobu seemed to hesitate, but then nodded. The woman looked content.

As her hand turned the last card her eyes widened.

"Is it a bad card?" I asked, seeing her reaction, as I could not help being curious.

"Not even little it's one of the best one you can get." She smiled. "Happy marriage, happily ever after, "To live together till death do us part"… It has many meanings but it really is a good card…" She smiled at Shinobu.

"That is all I can say to you, I'm afraid."

At her words Shinobu got up from the chair, but was stopped.

"Keep this card." The woman said, giving Shinobu the lucky card. "It may do you good." She winked.

"Thank you very much." Shinobu said, bowing.

"No need to… Just remember, Shinobu-san, your king's fate is bound to you." The woman said, winking once again.

I looked at Shinobu wide-eyed, as did he, but when we both turned around to look at the woman once more, she was gone.

"That was… strange…" Shinobu mumbled, to which I could only agree.

It would look as if we dreamed the meeting, if not for the card that Shinobu still held.

^(OwO)^

(Miyagi's POV)

The mystery of the boy named Shinobu did not leave my mind the whole day.

It did not leave my mind even during night and so, while midnight has long since passed, I decided to take a walk in gardens.

I did not know why, but my legs took me to the trees under which I met Shinobu.

What a surprise I got, finding him there once again.

He stood in the circle of trees, looking up at the starry sky. He had his brows furrowed though, as if being angry at the stars. I was kind of confused over this, however it seemed better than to find him in tears once again.

I saw his lips move, but the words did not reach my ears.

'Why not use a bit of magic?' I thought to myself as I summoned a light breeze to carry Shinobu's words to me.

"…is it so wrong to hold onto a memory for so long?" I heard Shinobu ask the stars. "Is it so much for someone to want to not be forgotten? Why are the ways of destiny so narrow and crooked?"

I suddenly had an urge to go closer to him, I wanted to calm him down, even if I did not quite understand why.

"WHY IS THIS SO DAMN HARD?!" He screamed, falling to his knees, burying his face into his hands.

It was then that I reached him and wrapped him in my arms.

"Don't yell, you'll wake up the whole palace." I said, teasingly.

He looked at me wide-eyed.

"W-w-w-w-w-what are you doing here Your Ma-Majesty?" he stuttered, trying to get away.

'So it's "Your Majesty" once I hear?' I thought to myself.

"You seemed like you could use a hug." I smiled. "Besides, I can't have you screaming in the middle of the night, ne?"

"I'm sorry…" He mumbled only, his cheeks colouring.

"Wouldn't it be better to talk about it, rather than screaming to the stars?"

"I guess…"

"What is it that weighs your mind?" I asked, earning a gasp from him, as I seated him on my lap.

"I-I-I…"

"Take your time…" I had to chuckle at the inability to speak clearly.

He breathed in an out and started again.

"I just feel confused… I really believed that I meant something to the person… And I'm being told that I should give up, but…"

"I know what you mean…" I sighed, looking at the stars.

"You do, Your Majesty?"

'I wish he'd stop calling me that… for some reason.'

"It's like that all the time…" I said, getting up, keeping Shinobu, whose legs still seemed a bit shaky in my arms. "That's the situation when head is told to do something, and, eventually, it will think that it is a right thing to do… but heart will refuse to… as long as there is even a sparkle of hope which tells you that it should be as you originally thought…"

I looked down at Shinobu who seemed to be falling asleep in my embrace.

"That's right… Head knows… Heart, refuses to…"

Saying that he really fell asleep.

I sighed, walking to the palace quietly.

'What should I do with you?' I thought, looking at the sleeping face. 'I know there's something about you, but…' just as I was to go in my thoughts further I heard Shinobu mumble in his sleep.

"Miyagi…"

'Really,  _Shinobu_ , just who are you?'


	4. What is Spoken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case you did not notice, there will be Original Characters, important enough to be mentioned in the tags :D, You might have met them in "Pieces of a Heart", if you read it. If not, I hope you will like them, once they come... not for a few chaps still, if my memory work correctly. :)

(Shinobu's POV)

_It feels as if my heart has been torn out, then shredded, it really does…_

_But why is it that you seem to want to return it, piece by piece?_

^(OwO)^

(Miyagi's POV)

"Be careful on your way, Your Majesty." I heard one of the guards say, as I went on yet another midnight walk in the palace gardens. It became a habit as of last few weeks and most of the time I went there only to meet up with Shinobu... not like the boy seemed aware of it.

'Shinobu…'

I still did not seem to understand the boy's mind. He seemed pleased with my company, yet there was something underlining his expressions and behaviour, something I could not quite grasp. What was it?

"You're sleepwalking again, Your Majesty?" I heard Shinobu smirk as I reached the koi pond in the centre of the garden.

"Not really… I just felt like being annoyed out of my mind for once…" I replied swiftly, which resulted in him pouting.

'Cute… … … Why do I keep thinking that word when associated with him?' I had to think as I came closer to the wooden bench Shinobu sat on.

"So… What should I annoy you with this time, then?" He asked, stifling his laughter with the back of his hand.

"I'm not really sure… start talking, that should be enough…"

"HEY!"

"Just joking… I came here because I felt like it, besides, putting aside the "Your Majesty" you refuse to stop calling me, you're one of few who does not seem to think of me as some higher rank only… you to talk to me as if we are equals…"

"I do? I'm sorry about that, Your Majesty… If you feel offended by it, I'll stop immediately…"

"I did not ask that of you, it's actually kind of refreshing… I want things to stay like they are now, at least…"

"At least…?"

"Yeah… I still for some reason think that it is better to have  _you_  of all people understand me like this, then five others to... Any idea why?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow.

I did not meet the hesitation in his eyes. Then, when he noticed me studying him, he looked to the ground all of sudden… He refused to meet my eyes… Until he looked back at me, a fake smile plastered on his face.

"No idea… Your Majesty."

I really  _hated_  that fake smile of his. It just seemed so wrong to see it on his face. Something told me that he really was not the type to keep things to himself… He was more of the type to go into a confrontation, than to keep quiet and wait for an outcome.

'Why is he acting like this, then? How to get him talk?' I wondered, sighing.

We stayed silent for a while, then Shinobu spoke up.

"May I ask something?"

"Go ahead."

"Why do you keep Sumi among the Lords?" Shinobu muttered.

"He's powerful, and a bit misunderstood, I have to say. Besides, his family has had the seat among Lords even in times of my predecessors… it is like that for most of the Lords… Why Sumi of all people?"

'…because he's annoying like hell?' I completed for myself, as I was trying to convince myself of the words I just said.

"No particular reason." Shinobu sighed, as he reached for something he had hung around his neck. It was a motion I saw him repeat countless times. He seemed to do it out of habit.

"What is that?" I asked, pointing at the certain object.

"Nothing that Your Majesty should concern himself with."

I did not reply to that, but my hand, as if on impulse, reached out for the thin chain on Shinobu's neck. Nothing serious, I thought, but…

The look of horror in Shinobu's eyes seriously shocked me. He widened his eyes more than I thought was possible, then opened his mouth slightly and to crown the impression he spin around his heel and ran off.

By the sudden motion the chain broke and stayed in my hand.

"Oi! Shinobu!" I called out to him.

It was when he jumped at the sound of his name that I realized just how insufficiently do I call him by the name… however he did not stop the run, he seemed to only speed up.

'What did I do this time?' I had to think as I bent over to take the broken slim chain. As I did so I noticed the ring that was on it.

'Is this it?' I thought as I studied the ring against the moonlight. There certainly was something familiar about it, but as I wanted to think about it more a terrible head ache struck me and so I decided to leave it for later.

Holding the ring tightly I turned in the direction of the palace and slowly started walking.

^(OwO)^

(Misaki's POV)

I was worried for Shinobu, seriously.

It was like that all the time, there were days, when he returned from his midnight walks bright as sun, smiling, slipping into sleep with a satisfied grin on his face...

Yet…

There were also days when he returned even gloomier than before, sometimes crying, reluctantly going to sleep, as he was usually woken up by nightmare…

However that day, it was the worst out of all of these…

He returned running, eyes mirroring the surroundings, as if he was not aware of what was real any longer.. on a top of it he collapsed not soon after.

'What was it this time?' I could not help but wonder as I managed to drag him to his bed.

'Who's causing him to be like this?'

^(OwO)^

(Shinobu's POV)

" _Are you okay?" A voice rang out through the room I was apparently in._

_I turned my head to see the source of it, only to lock my eyes with the dark ones of my saviour._

" _Yeah..." I mumbled only in response._

" _You sure? That was some dire situation you got yourself in." The man half-laughed._

_It was then that I realized that he was preparing some food, and it only reminded me how hungry I was. And as I saw the black-haired angel of mine open his mouth to say something, my stomach decided to announce my hunger by growling loudly._

_I blushed immediately, but the man only laughed._

" _Guess we can wait with talking a little longer." he said, as he started to divide the food on plates, motioning for me to sit on one of the chairs by the table, no protest was made on that._

_While we ate silently I could not help but steal a glance at the man, every now and then, and to my own surprise I found myself being attracted to him. There was something about him that simply stirred on my senses._

" _It will get cold if you stare only." The man laughed. I did not even notice that I stopped eating and so I returned to the food right away, blushing more than slightly._

_Once we were done eating we set the plates aside as the man started talking._

" _So... what's your name?"_

" _Shinobu , yours?"_

" _You have the same name as the crown prince?" He asked instead._

_I managed to suppress a gasp and let my façade remain unchanging._

" _Yeah... Seems like it was popular back then." I said only, then I realized something. "You still did not tell me your name..." I pouted, not even sure why I did so._

_The man looked at me for a while, studying, then he smiled impishly._

" _You promise not to tell it to anyone?" He asked._

" _Does it matter?"_

_To that the man nodded only._

" _Okay so I won't tell... What is your name then, mister I-like-to-be-mysterious?"_

" _It's Miyagi."_

" _Surname, I suppose..."_

" _Yeah, but only very few know, take it an honour." He laughed as he stood up and started to clean the plates from the table._

_I looked after him, noting the gracefulness even in such a simple task, wondering._

" _What is so special about it?"_

_He looked back at me then laughed._

" _You'll get to know... once...When you do we'll be bound together."_

^(OwO)^

(Third Person's POV)

Misaki sat at the edge of Shinobu's bed, as he always did when he knew that the boy was to wake up from a nightmare.

That time however, the boy did not wake up screaming... yet it did not change the fact that he burst into tears as soon as he woke up.

Misaki took Shinobu in his arms, as he always did, soothing the boy, as he cried softly.

"Miyagi you're a liar... such a liar..."

^(OwO)^

(Shinobu's POV)

I tried to avoid Miyagi after that time in garden, and I was quite successful in it.

Yes, I did miss my ring heavily, but I was still more afraid of what would happen if I were to confront Miyagi right after.

I managed to avoid the king for two weeks already, when...

"Oi!"

'I should have known better than to take a midnight walk.' I cursed myself, but knew it was too late for that and so I only turned in the direction of the king's voice.

"Don't you miss something?" he asked, handing me the ring.

I looked at him for a while, noting that there was no recognition of the object in his eyes.

 _'Nothing has changed... Nothing will ever change..._ If I don't leave a clue at least _.'_ Hint... Well...'

I only shook my head.

"Take it... I want you to have it."

"Isn't it important to you?"

'What about you?'

"What makes you think so?"

"You always hold onto it... I thought it might be linked to some precious memory of yours... or something... Did I read it wrong?"

I shook my head once more.

"It really is important to me, but I want you to have it even more so."

"Why?" The confusion, so obvious in his eyes, was hurting.

_'Because I did not forget... I'm still the same...'_

"Because I love you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for today, bye babes (o3o)/


	5. Silent Promise

(Shinobu's POV)

_If I take away the hesitation and become **me** **...**  will you accept it? Or run away?_

^(OwO)^

(Miyagi's POV)

" _Because I love you."_

I saw the earnest look in Shinobu's eyes... but I saw something else also... the uncertainty, the fear, pain even...

'Is he scared of rejection this much?' I could not help but wonder.

Then, before I could even react, he grabbed me by my shirt and pressed his lips to mine. It was then that I felt something oddly familiar in the situation that was happening... a touch of déjà-vu.

I somehow recovered from the shock and brought my hands up and touched Shinobu's hands lightly.

He jumped at the touch, then a look of agony flashed over his face and then... he ran away.

Before I could bring myself to react to that, he was gone already.

^(OwO)^

(Shinobu's POV)

'You're an idiot!' I kept yelling at myself in my mind. 'A complete and hopeless idiot!'

I ran aimlessly through the palace gardens until I found myself on a place I did not recognize. I looked around, trying to at least see the lights from the palace, but they were nowhere in sight.

'Where am I?' I thought as I tried to find some clue that would lead me back, failing miserably.

I ran back on the road I thought I came from, only to realize that I really only  _thought_ that, noticing that the surroundings got even darker as I most probably ran deeper into the woods that surrounded the palace.

'How do I get back?' I thought as I ran,  _this time for sure_ , exactly to where I came from... only to notice that I could not find the place I ran from, as all was dark thus full of shadows.

I let a fire-ball appear in my hand, hoping to literally bring some light into the situation, but even with the help of the fire I could not recognize my surroundings.

At that moment I started panicking, hoping that I had not ran from Miyagi like a coward, that I  _faced_  what the man would tell me, given the state he was in.

"Miyagi..."

^(OwO)^

(Miyagi's POV)

It did not take me  _that_  long to process the fact that Shinobu ran into the direction opposite to the palace, meaning that in a few moments he was bound to get lost... There were only few who would not in the night.

I ran in the direction the boy took, hoping to find him before he ran too deep into the woods, as it may have become even dangerous for him and that was not something I wanted for Shinobu.

I ran and ran, calling the wind to help me. It brought me various scents and sounds, none of them was associated with Shinobu though, until a soft whisper was brought to me.

"Miyagi..."

" _What is so special about it?"_

I stopped suddenly at the memory my brain provided... I was certain that it was Shinobu's voice saying it, but I certainly did not remember him saying something like that lately.

'When did I hear that?' I had to wonder as I returned to running. I really wanted an answer, but I was not sure where to get it... except for the boy who seemed to refuse to do so.

As I was engrossed in my thoughts I almost missed the flicker of fire I saw between the trees.

I ran in the direction and as expected I soon found the boy I was looking for. He looked around worriedly, not knowing where to go... that was until he noticed me, then his face turned in that of fear, it reminded me of the reason the boy ran away in the first place.

I took a step closer to him, only to notice him backing off as he started gnawing on his lower lip.

"If you go deeper into the woods I am not going to get you out of it..." I said warningly, hoping to make him stay. I wanted to call myself lucky as I noticed that the boy began to waver about taking another step, and soon I was standing in front of him.

"Why did you run?" I asked, making him flinch.

He seemed to think about it for a while, then bowed.

"I'm-sorry-Your-Majesty-it-won't-happen-again-plea se-forgive-me-I..." He blabbered on and on, until it got to the point where I could not understand him.

I sighed, and came even closer to the boy, taking him into an embrace in which he stiffened immediately.

"Um... I-I-I..." He started, but I did not want him to continue and so I did what felt the most right at the moment. I silenced him with a soft kiss.

I saw how Shinobu widened his eyes, once I retreated, gaping like a fish.

"Okay... so... let's say, that I'm not entirely disinterested in you... will you stop the blabbering then?" I asked with a tint of humour.

He still only looked back at me, shocked, almost as if he's frozen in time.

"Ahem, Shinobu? You there?" I asked, waving my hand before his face, still not getting a response.

"Jeez what to do with you?" I sighed as I took the unresponsive boy in my arms and slowly started walking back to the palace. It was only moments later that the boy fell asleep in my arms.

"If only you would tell me..."

^(OwO)^

(Shinobu's POV)

" _Miyagi!" I exclaimed happily as I noticed the door opening then jumped at the man who just came through them._

" _Oi! I want to breathe also, you know?" he half-complained, half-laughed._

" _I do, but..." I decided to prove my point with a kiss._

" _I'd sacrifice my breathing more often, if it meant I'd get a cure like this." He crooned as he pulled me closer to him, smiling warmly._

" _I wish the time would stop now..." I whispered softly, basking in the man's presence._

" _So do I..."_

^(O.O)^

I woke up in my bed, which I found quite strange.

'When did I get back?'

"Ah, Shinobu! You awake already?" I heard Misaki, who just came, say.

I only nodded in response, noting that it was quite bright outside, maybe around noon even.

"What time is it?"

"It's about ten o'clock, we'll need to go and start preparing the lunch in about half an hour, so it's just enough time to..." He paused and sat on the bed next to me. "... ask some questions... What did happen to you during night? And why did His Majesty of all people carry you back here?" Misaki asked, concerned.

"Well, I met him on my night walk and... kind of collapsed I guess?" I said, scratching the back of my head, trying not to lie too much, as I did not like to point lies to the sweet person Misaki was.

"I'm glad you're feeling better then." He smiled and stood up. "Shall I bring you something for breakfast? Or will you eat once we get to the kitchen?"

"I'll eat later, thank you for the offer though." I smiled only, not wanting to burden Misaki with my hunger.

"I need to stop by nii-chan's now, okay? I'll come for you in like twenty minutes." Misaki smiled only then walked out of the room.

I sighed as he did, remembering the yesterday's fiasco.

"I should just dig a hole, crawl into it and die."

^(O.O)^

After that I somehow managed to avoid Miyagi for a week,  _which was kind of a heroic effort as I knew that he was trying to get to talk to me_. However not everything can last, ne?

I was sure that I was bound to meet the man sooner or later.

He wasn't a king for nothing.

^(O.O)^

"Oi!"

As soon as I heard that, I cursed myself for not being to able to learn from experience.

I turned around only to see Miyagi's face lightened by a moonlight, which made his perfect facial features stand out even more so.

"What is it that you want from me, Your Majesty?" I asked stoically.

"Drop the "Your Majesty" will you? I  _know_  you used to call me differently." He said, narrowing his eyes.

"Did I? Really? I'm sorry Your Majesty, but I don't remember..." I said, smiling, my acting skills not as great as I'd want them to be.

"TAKE THAT FAKE SMILE OFF YOUR FACE!" The way he raised his voice made me jump. "Look..." He started once he inhaled end exhaled few times to calm himself down. "I really want to be with you, you know? And it is not about some past experience that I can't bring myself to bring back completely..."

"Completely?" I could not really hide the slight hope that underlined the only word I said. I  _knew_  he noticed it.

"Shinobu..." He took me in his arms, whispering softly. "I really want to remember... Whatever it is that I am missing... It hurts to see how much pain I am causing you..."

I could not even speak at the kindness he said it with. I only felt the tears gather in my eyes. I tried to hide them, but I should have known better than to do so in front of him.

He pulled me a bit further to look me in the eyes.

"I'll really try to remember... I really will."

'Promise me...' I wanted to say, but I knew just how desperate would that sound at the moment. He however did not need me to say that.

"That's a promise."

^(OwO)^

(Third Person's POV)

Miyagi returned to the palace more focused on remembering than when he left.

It was something that happened in the gardens that made him feel so, a memory that appeared in his mind.

" _I wish the time would stop now..."_ Shinobu whispered softly in that memory, leaning even closer to the embrace they shared.

" _So do I..."_ Miyagi replied in the memory.

He felt the feelings in the memory, even if he had trouble remembering,  _bringing_ that memory back.

He sat at the table, turning the ring he had from Shinobu back and forth in his hand.

It was like that that the Usami found him. The Lord looked at king curiously, then his eyes stopped on the ring Miyagi held.

"Where did you get that?" Usami asked.

"Why are you asking me?"

"You don't know what that is?" the Lord continued asking with a quirked eyebrow.

"I know I should, but..." it was then that Miyagi realized something. "...It was mine, was it?"

"Where did you get the ring?"

"From someone I gave it to? Maybe?"

"You really don't remember?"

The king only shook his head then started massaging his temples, as a terrible headache struck him. It escalated to the point that the man decided to try just sleeping it off. And so, once he left the room, he could not hear the Usami whispering softly.

"It's better that you don't remember for now..."

^(O.O)^

As the days went, Miyagi and Shinobu met more often. The boy tried hard,  _yet softly_ , slowly,  _yet steadily_ , to bring back the man's memories... in a way that would not hurt the man, after all... He was not about to give up on the man, not ever.

^(OwO)^

(Shinobu's POV)

"Your Majesty!" I exclaimed as a pair of arms wrapped around my waist, startling me just a little bit... I was waiting for the owner of them after all.

"I told you not to call me that..." He replied sighing. "Call me what you used to call me... please..."

I took a breath and whispered. "Miyagi..."

"I told you the name, didn't I?"

I nodded almost invisibly, recalling the memory.

"You said that only few know it..."

"And I did not lie... I never lie... well intentionally... How did the two of us even meet?"

"Undercover." I grinned, pulling the man closer for a kiss. Miyagi did not seem to mind it much, quite the opposite, he deepened the kiss, making my mind go hazy. Once I let out a sweet sigh he started roaming his hands under my shirt.

Only few moments later, however, he stopped pulling himself further.

"I don't know whether we should..."

"Why?"

"I think it would be better to wait... for when I remember. I don't want to hurt you by my ignorance. I don't want to bring pain to you... Not ever." He sighed. "I still don't get how is it even possible that you did not give up on me yet..."

I pulled him a bit lower – 'Damn his height...' - so I'd look him in the eye.

"Read my lips if you don't get it...  _Because I love you_." Saying so I crashed our lips together, moment later placing his hands on my hips. "You should know that by now. And you also should accept the fact that you won't get rid of me so easily. I waited too long for this..." I laughed softly.

"I don't want to get rid of you..." He said only, finally getting a hint as his hands started to trace the curves of my body once more. "Not now, not ever."

"Then shut up and  _do me_!"

"As you wish, my love."


	6. For the Doll

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The rating finally has a reason to be up. (o3o)/

(Miyagi's POV)

_To me, you are like a delicate porcelain doll which I am **so**  afraid of breaking..._

_A doll that is to be handled with the utmost care... being so fragile after all..._

_I am thinking so to the extent of thoughts about locking you away... locking you in a place where no one would be able to lay their eyes on you, except for me..._

_But would you, my love, my little porcelain doll, be happy then?_

^(OwO)^

(Third Person's POV)

"You really are something..." Miyagi smiled as he looked at the boy who waited for him for so long, not giving up even when it seemed as the best choice. Then the king looked at the koi pond as it got enlightened by the boy and flickers of fire started their dance on the pond's surface, making it seem as if thousands of candles were lit in there.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Shinobu asked, smiling wide, proud of his artistic creation.

"It is... But you're far,  _far_  more beautiful than that..." the man crooned, as he circled his arms around the boy's waist.

Shinobu only let out a sweet sigh, leaning into the man's embrace.

"You can't even imagine how happy you make me when you say that..." the boy whispered looking up into the man's eyes.

"I'd still like it more if I could say it to you as the  _me_  you know." the king sighed, tightening his grip on his small lover. "I'd want you to be happy to your utmost, but ..."

"You really don't get anything... do you?" the boy laughed as he shook his head slightly. "I'm happy like this... even if you don't recover all your memories... it's better than having you with memories, but not by my side..."

"How can you think that is ever a possibility?... How could I know so much more about you... and not be infatuated by you?" Miyagi smiled teasingly as he slid a hand under Shinobu's shirt once more and got rid of it for him in a second, then calling the winds to make a sound-proof barrier around the place. "Tell me..."

As the boy started blushing furiously the fire blossoms intensified their shine. That caused Miyagi to frown.

"Can you tone it down a bit? As much as I'd love to see you better I don't think it would be good if anyone else did..."

At that Shinobu sighed, nodding. He already went through that phase with the man few times.

"Okay okay... no unnecessary attention." He said as he waved his hand and made all the fire spots except for few disappear. "That should be enough." He said, as he kicked his shoes aside and started unbuttoning his lover's shirt.

"What for?" Miyagi asked, as he managed to get rid of the boy's belt and started to take off the pants.

"To replace the moon." Shinobu grinned only as he let himself be placed on the grass that tickled him softly.

"You're just so beautiful." Miyagi whispered placing a kiss on the boy's lips. He then made a trail of these soft kisses down the boy's neck, biting the collarbone softly. He could not help but smile when he saw the boy wriggle sweetly beneath him as he did so.

"You like that?" He asked, softly biting the other collarbone also then continuing in his trail down the boy's body, until he got to the hem of Shinobu's shorts which he took off the boy quickly, deeming them unnecessary, exposing the boy's hardening member.

Miyagi chuckled softly at the sight, then gave a teasing lick up the length only to return to kiss his petite lover's body in the opposite motion.

"Ah, Miyagi... you're killing me." Shinobu breathed as the said man started to nip at the soft flesh of Shinobu's neck and traced his hands down the curves of the boy's pale body.

Shinobu could not help but gasp as Miyagi coaxed his thighs apart and engaged his mouth in series of searing kisses, while his fingers invaded the boy's entrance, getting the petite boy used to the feeling as the kisses increased on quantity and intensity.

The thorough preparation continued, the pleasure centre inside the boy being tortured gently. Shinobu tried to stifle a moan, clenching his teeth and closing his eyes... until he heard the older man croon.

"No one can hear us... Moan for me Shinobu."

In response the boy moaned the man's name feverishly. It only made the man want the boy even more so.

Soon enough Miyagi thought of Shinobu being prepared enough and so he let his fingers slide out of his excited lover's body and positioned himself to enter the boy.

Shinobu knew what was about to come and soon he could not help, but cry out more intensely as he felt himself being deeply penetrated.

The sounds of the boy's pleasure caused the man's pleasure to escalate also. He took his lover in heated, blinding thrusts which in turn caused the boy to pant harder and moan more desperately.

"You're so beautiful." Miyagi breathed in Shinobu's ear, highly enjoying the view of the boy who writhed under him in pure pleasure. In response to these words the boy wrapped his slender legs around his lover's body, breathing the man's name.

Being loved like that it did not take too much longer for the younger of the lovers to cry out the man's name in completion, his body being seized by the pleasure completely. He was soon followed by the man who breathed his petite lover's name into the crook of said boy's neck.

Shinobu gave a soft, moaning cry as Miyagi's heat filled him inside. He let himself being overcome by the feeling for a moment then searched his lover's darker eyes, locking with them once given the chance. He was happy to find a content look, a look of deep satisfaction, in them.

"I love you..." the black-haired man whispered, stroking a blushing cheek of his once lost love.

"I love you, too..." Shinobu smiled back, his chest heaving softly. He was happy that the man, once-again, felt the same way he did. Like that the boy did not feel alone any more. "I love you Miyagi."

It was as if their skins got so close to make them just one whole being, as if it was not even there in the first place. It was that, not so usually found, kind of love... a completing one.

^(O.O)^

Shinobu had a garden duty when he noticed the king looking from one of the palace's window straight at him. It did not help when he heard Misaki's cheerful voice a moment later.

"Hey Shinobu! Look! His Majesty!"

"I know about him." Shinobu muttered silently as he tried to hide how furiously was he blushing. He still felt the remains of their coupling from the previous night intensely. He felt them to the point of sitting not being an opinion for the time being.

Misaki seemed a bit curious about the reason of such an answer, but he let the matter slide. He was glad that his friend seemed to finally reconcile with the person he's been looking for.

'Might as well be happy for him...' He thought with a smile as he suddenly noticed a certain Lord, who seemed to not have an intention of letting Misaki be for few days, approach him. '...and try so for myself also.'

^(O.O)^

Shinobu could not help but chuckle as he saw Misaki walk away with the Usami Lord after talking for a while. He did not miss the smile nor the blush that were so obvious on his only friend's face.

'Seems it's striving forward nicely.' He chuckled for himself as he noticed Misaki holding the Lord's hand shyly before the couple disappeared from his eye-sight.

It was because of his preoccupation with these two that he did not notice someone else approaching him.

"Oi!" Sounded from behind Shinobu as a pair of arms circled around the boy's waist.

Even a motion as simple as that caused the poor boy to get startled. That was until he realized who the owner of them was, second later.

"Miyagi!" Shinobu exclaimed as he turned around to face his lover.

"What is my dear little sweetheart doing?" The man asked, trying to not laugh at the not-so-hidden pout on Shinobu's face.

"Watering flowers..."

"Watering only? Why? Shouldn't the gardener's work be tending flowers?"

"Misaki's taking care of that... I think that if I was the one to do it that I'd be out of the gates soon."

The man did not get what the younger of the lovers was implying so he only tilted his head, waiting for an explanation. Instead of words however, the boy got out of the man's embrace and stepped closer to one of the flowers, murmuring a soft apologize as he touched it. The flower shrivelled and dried completely in few seconds.

"I'm a fire user, there's no way I'd be good in tending flowers." Shinobu sighed as he took the dried flower and placed it behind his ear. "How do I look?" He asked, his eyes going wider, one of the fingers placed on his lower lip, whilst the mouth pouted cutely.

"Loveable." Miyagi said only as he pulled the boy closer, their lips crashing together.

Once the primary surprise had passed the boy circled his arms around the man's neck, running through the black hair with his fingers.

They stayed in the lock of their lips as long as their lungs allowed them to, then separated.

"You're almost too loveable..." The king smirked, noting that the sun started to set already. "Why not make a good use of that... elsewhere?" He said only as he scooped the boy up and carried him through the gardens.

'And you rambled about being quiet...' Shinobu could not help but think as he was carried, looking around cautiously.

He only sighed in relief when he noticed that there was no one else around.

^(OwO)^

(Miyagi's POV)

I stroked Shinobu's cheek softly as I leaned closer to place a goodnight kiss on the now sleeping boy's lips.

He looked just so unbearably sweet when like that. That impression got even deeper as I could hear my name being spoken in a whisper into the pillows. It was just too damned cute to even comprehend.

'I wish I remembered.' I could only sigh as I took in Shinobu's features, wrapping the sleeping boy in my arms.

Just as this thought crossed my mind I could feel a piece of memory returning to me.

" _Are you sure about this?"_

" _More than I ever was…"_

" _Really?"_

" _Just shut up and kiss me!"_

I chuckled as I heard Shinobu's voice in my mind. He really did not change at all in the time he was looking for me.

'How long was it, actually?' I could not help but wonder. Shinobu never mentioned a stretch of time. 'How long did I make you wait, love?'

^(OwO)^

(Shinobu's POV)

I was woken up by sun rays that landed on my face. It took me a while before I realized that it  _really_  was not my room that I was at the current time… and nor was it my bed.

I looked around and realized that it was Miyagi's room I was in… though I only remembered few features of it as I was quite hazy at the moment… and then I saw only Miyagi.

I blushed at the memory of the previous night, burying my face in my hands.

'This is almost too much happiness to have at once.' I thought, tearing up. I got kind of interrupted in the last activity as a voice rang through the room.

"What upset my love, so early in the… afternoon?"

I turned my head to where Miyagi's voice sounded from, sighing.

"It's nothing…"

"If it really was nothing you would not cry over it." He said as he sat on the bed next to me. "What should I do about you?" He sighed as he pulled me closer, making my head rest on his broad chest.

"Just take your time remembering… I'll come around." I said, snuggling closer.

"I actually just remembered something… How we met for the first time… that is…"

"That's not a nice memory…" I could not help but sigh, remembering the sleazy men Miyagi saved me from that time.

"Yet it is a memory… a precious memory of our time together which I intend to keep securely… as I do with all the others." He said, burying his face in the crook of my neck. "I'm going to try really hard for you."

"You know… if you were to forget again… I really wouldn't know what to do." I said silently. It hurt to even think of the possibility.

"I hope I won't… but I think there's some deeper meaning in it… Promise me Shinobu… If I really were to forget…promise me that you won't do anything stupid…"

"Like?"

"You know what I mean…"

I did, no talk on that.

"You just have to remember that for me there's no future without you, once you die, I'll also."

The sincerity I could hear in his voice only made me tear up again. These really were words that I needed to hear, yet… I did not want to think of it.

At that time we did not know that I'll need to keep this conversation of ours in mind…  _and it was not even to be in a future **that**  far ahead._


	7. When the Magic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting with this chapter you will have to deal with my attempts at poetry (^v^)>  
> Hopefully you will rather skip them, then leave my story altogether, were they not to your liking. (o3o)

(Shinobu's POV)

_I think I know a lot,_

_Yet also I know nothing._

_That sometimes apples rot_

_And sometimes they keep falling._

_The knowledge of it eats_   _my soul,_

_It's something that won't leave._

_It destroys all my heart as whole,_

_Is it time to grieve?_

^(OwO)^

(Third Person's POV)

During the days that followed after the final reconcilement Shinobu and Miyagi continued to meet up secretly. They wanted to spend every possible moment together, however it kind of proved difficult, especially with the importance Miyagi's position held. Even so it did not make the passion of the once-again lovers diminish in the least.

They met every day, even if for a few second's time, exchanging few words and kisses. That was the minimal charging they needed to last till their following night-time encounter which both lovers eagerly waited for.

In the days that they had to pretty much spend apart however, Shinobu could not help but feel down, even angry sometimes, blaming the whole world for being dead-set against him. And that did not go by unnoticed by Misaki.

"You did not see him again today?" Misaki asked cautiously as he watched the fair-haired boy cut the cabbage before him with the gentleness of a troll, the flickers of flame dancing around. The flame itself was pretty much an answer, it meant that Shinobu was like a volcano at the moment... just waiting to burst.

"You know... that cabbage does not need to be blamed." Misaki mumbled only in the end, sighing, knowing that Shinobu is not in the right set of mind for a conversation. It was because of this that he was surprised when the younger boy actually started talking.

"I'm just so...  _angry_!" He started, nearly cutting the wooden board under the poor vegetable also in the process. "We've been together for like two weeks and I can count the hours we spent together during the day on my hands!" He whined.

"During the day?"

"Do I need to explain? Maybe  _Usagi-san_  can." Shinobu laughed, putting more importance on the pet name Misaki called the Lord, the flames around him finally disappearing.

That comment however resulted in the older of the two boys blushing furiously. It did not bother the boy that much however... for once. He was glad that Shinobu's mood was finally better.

"Leaving the night matter aside, why is it that he has so little time?" Misaki asked after a while of silence, being quite curious about the matter, especially with knowing scraps of the complicated past the lovers had together.

"He's busy." Shinobu frowned, staring with a death-glare at yet another piece of a certain green vegetable as if he was sure it was mocking him by lying there.

"Are you sure it's just that?"

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Shinobu asked, turning to Misaki.

"You know, some cheat, some are married, even with children sometimes... and such... not events from my own experience by the way."

"No worries, he's not like that." Shinobu grinned, without an ounce of hesitation.

"How can you be so sure?" Misaki asked.

"I trust him, besides... I have him somewhere where I can keep an eye on him, just in case." Shinobu laughed, leaving Misaki to stare at him for a while.

"And where would that be?" Misaki asked, not remembering to ever see Shinobu with someone from the palace.

'But then again...' He thought, seeing the smile on Shinobu's lips. 'They may just be  _very_  good at hiding.'

"That's a secret."

^(O.O)^

The man could not help but frown when he looked at one of the laughing boys in the garden. There certainly was something different about him, something changed since the last time he saw him.

He scanned the boy's body with his power-enhanced eyes, knowing that there no longer will be the light that centred on the boy's chest as it was when they met. It was not there for some time already. The light that indicated weakness was centring somewhere else at the moment.

The silver-haired man once again looked at the boy stopping his eyes at the midsection of the slender body.

'What does that mean?' He asked himself, narrowing his eyes. He knew that until he'll have the possibility to touch the boy he would not get his answer.

That would have to wait at the moment though. He knew that he would be too obvious at the moment and so he only turned around and decided to walk back to the palace.

He could however faintly hear the other of the boys asking the first.

"Hey Shinobu, wasn't that Lord Sumi?"

^(OwO)^

(Misaki's POV)

"My Miyagi..." I heard my roommate mumble in his sleep as he hugged his pillow closer.

I could only chuckle softly at the sight. However at the same time the repeatedly asked question appeared in my mind as it did at least once every day.

'Who's this  _Miyagi_?'

I was pretty certain that there was no one of the name at the palace... or at least was not  _called_  that. And I was quite sure that it really had to be someone important as I knew that Shinobu is being very cautious about the information he's sharing.

'Other than his name – which I did not even hear from Shinobu while he was conscious – I don't know anything except for the fact that they used to be lovers, the man for some reason forgot the relationship... and that's about it.' I sighed. It really had to have some more reasons than those I knew of.

I heard the name whispered again, which only caused me to sigh for like hundredth time only that night.

'Guess I'll just ask Usagi-san later.' I resolved myself, as I pulled a sheet over me.

'It can wait for now.'

^(OwO)^

(Shinobu's POV)

" _Miyagi." I exclaimed happily as I saw the man come back from the market, jumping at him once he was close enough. That of course caused both of us to fall._

_Miyagi only laughed strainedly as his air capacity was lessened by the amount of my weight. Then he managed to get the two of us back on feet leaning down for a kiss which I granted him immediately, bathing in the gentleness of the gesture._

" _What was new in the town?" I asked as we turned to walk back into the house... our_ home _, that's what it was._

" _Nothing much... only that there are quite a few people looking for the prince... he decided to disappear for a while, apparently..."_

_I still thanked all the gods that Miyagi seemed unaware of my heritage, it however meant that I was not aware of his also, not having the right to ask. "Anything else?"_

" _I think that as it looks king Yoh from the neighbouring country took a vacation also... Maybe they're together somewhere?" Miyagi grinned as he pulled me closer._

' _I think I'd know about that.' I sighed to myself, when my gaze rested on Miyagi, a thought occurring to me. 'Or wouldn't I? It's not possible, is it?' I dismissed the thought, hearing a small voice in the back of my head say. 'It's not impossible also.'_

_I pushed the voice aside, returning back to the present._

'Maybe I shouldn't have done that, back then.'

^(O.O)^

By the time a second memory came to me I was already aware that it was my past that was being replayed... That however did not lessen the amount of pain one of my most painful memories brought me.

_I sat on Miyagi's lap, engaging ourselves in a life-searing kiss, being in need of air after some time._

' _This is it.' I thought with a smile, feeling Miyagi's hands roaming under my shirt, disrobing me quietly._

That time I thought that it would be the happiest night of my life, sharing my everything with the one I loved... however the banging on the door proved me wrong.

" _Open the door." A rough voice yelled through the closed door, causing us to pull away from each other. "We know you're there prince."_

_At these words I was sure I had the facial expression of an animal caught in the trap, however when I turned to Miyagi he did not have blame on his face, nor loathing, nor surprise. He had an expression of understanding, smiling sadly though._

_It was then that I realized that he must have had known... maybe not all along, but most of the time certainly._

_I threw my arms around his neck, crying as the banging on the door intensified._

" _Miyagi... ah, Miyagi, love..." I cried pressing a salty kiss on his lips._

" _It's Yoh, Shinobu..." He whispered in my ear, as he hugged me closer. Which caused me to pull away and look at him._

"Maybe they're together somewhere?"  _I remembered the words from few days back._

_I wanted to say something else when I heard the man behind the door yell once more._

" _If you don't open in following ten seconds we're going to break the door!" He yelled, starting to count slowly._

" _I... I... I..." stuttering was always one of things that I did not like about my panicked state._

" _It's okay, I understand..." He said, as he quickly scooped me up and run through the house for the back door, opening it with a kick. He then placed me on my feet... well on a cloud to be more precise._

_He created it with his magic, I was sure._

_By the time the man by the door counted ten I was giving Miyagi a goodbye kiss, crying out of pure agony._

" _I'll come for you Miyagi." I promised as I felt the cloud lift and start to take me away._

" _I know you will." I heard Miyagi call after me... soon after, once I was seeing only a small figure of him, I saw him being surrounded by guards._

"MIYAGI!"

I woke up screaming the name, covered in sweat, tears streaming down my face.

On one side I was glad that Misaki spent the night in the Lord's room, since he'd be woken up at the moment... one the other side however, I needed soothing words, a calm voice, to make the terror of the nightmare go away.

Still crying I decided to go to where I knew I'd get some comfort, even knowing it was a risky way to take.

To Miyagi's room.

^(OwO)^

(Miyagi's POV)

I was restless, not being able to sleep. It was because of that that I was pacing through my room, hoping that for once I was not a king.

"All the Lords hate me..." I mumbled to myself, but soon remembered that not all of them were for what was being planned for me. "Okay so not all of them..."

I however was still lost about what to do about the case of the daughter of King Takatsuki. Some of the Lords still seemed to be convinced that it would be for good if I was to marry her... which I sure as hell was not.

Alongside to that I still could not remember at least half of memories concerning my past with Shinobu, the last night together involved. It was something in Shinobu's expression whenever I spoke about this one night in particular, that told me that the information held a matter of great importance.

It was because of my sleep not coming that I noticed the flickers of flame, our ultimate sign, behind the window of my room.

I opened the window seeing the crying mess of my lover looking up at me.

I quickly made a cloud by the magic, which for some reason caused him to cry harder, and lifted him to the level of my window.

As soon as he came through the window-frame Shinobu pretty much collapsed in my arms, clinging to my shirt, crying loudly.

I lifted his chin to look at him, however it was a heart-breaking sight. It was when I looked at his teary face that a piece of memory came to me.

" _I'll come for you Miyagi."_  I heard Shinobu in the memory say, as he was crying, being carried on one of the clouds made of my magic.

'It would make sense then.' I realized as I recalled Shinobu's reaction from just a few minutes ago.

I leaned down to my little lover, placing a gentle kiss on his salty-tasting lips.

"Make love to me, Miyagi." He said after a while, pleading me with those huge teary eyes of his. It however was not enough to break my resolve... at first.

It was after long minutes of pleading, crying silently, that I did. Gods knew that the poor boy needed some loving.

And so it resulted in a round of an exceedingly gentle lovemaking.

^(O.O)^

"Wait a minute!" I said, causing Shinobu to freeze during the process of dressing, making him look kissable as he was standing near the window, enlightened by the morning light.

"What!" He asked only, sending me a look I had hard time deciphering.

"What is this?" I asked as I came closer to him tracing the symbol he had just under the belly button.

"Tattoo..." He mumbled, however his averted gaze told me that it is more than that.

I let one of my arms circle around his slim waist, pulling him closer to me so.

"You sure about that?" I asked an eyebrow quirked.

"Okay so it is not... why are you asking me  _now_?"

"I just never noticed... What a nice red rose you have here." I laughed, kissing his pouting lips.

Suddenly as if realizing something he broke free of my embrace.

"Wait... Red? You said red didn't you?" He asked, storming to the bathroom.

I looked after him dumbly for a while then followed, only to find him studying himself in the full-length mirror, skipping from himself to his mirror image.

I came closer, wrapping my arms around him, burying my head in the crook of his shoulder.

"What is wrong Shinobu?" I asked after a while, when I deemed him out of initial shock of some sort.

"It was not like that..." He mumbled, still seemingly lost in his own thoughts.

"And how was it?" I asked, not really getting the meaning at all.

"The rose... it used to be white..." Shinobu confessed after giving it some thought obviously, still looking at the mirror image of us. "I don't understand..."

"Why is it even there, Shinobu? What is that flower's purpose?"

"It's created with magic..."

"Magic? It should be fine then, ne?"

"It was not my magic..." Shinobu said, averting his gaze to stare at the wall. "It's a curse... of sorts. I can't really feel the effect of it though. The time the magic starts to work... Is the time I go insane..."

"And how should I understand that?"

Shinobu did not reply for quite some time, then tugged softly at my sleeve, making me go after him back to the bedroom.

"Sit down..." He said, patting a place next to him on the bed. "I'll tell you."

I could not miss how strained his voice seemed nor how his hands shook...

'He seems really nervous about it... What is it that he hides?'


	8. Takes Its Toll

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yato, my OC from Pieces of a Heart appears here for the first time. He's only the first one to do so :D

(Shinobu's POV)

_I want to run away with you... to somewhere where positions don't matter. Where we can stand next to each other as equals._

^(OwO)^

(Miyagi's POV)

_"Sit down..." Shinobu said, patting a place next to him on the bed. "I'll tell you."_

I looked at my trembling petite lover and could not help but worry. It was because of this behaviour of the boy that I did not hesitate for even a second about the sincerity of what he was about to say.

"I... how much of our last night together do you remember?" Shinobu asked hesitantly, once I sat on the bed next to him, wrapping him in an embrace.

"Not much..." I admitted, hoping that the memories would come back quicker. The haze they were clouded in, however, seemed to be too thick around most of them.

Shinobu sighed, then leaned into the embrace more. _"Maybe they're together somewhere?"_  he mouthed silently, almost too silently for me to hear it... however I did and it caused me to think about the sentence's meaning, because even though I found it familiar I could not really place it anywhere.

"Who said that?" I asked in the end, pressing my cheek to his, as I hugged him tighter.

"You did... You were referring to the certain king who escaped his duties by taking a vacation without telling anyone..." It was not hard to get from his look that it was me who he was speaking about.

"And who was the other person?" I asked. "It takes two to tango... I think you know that though..."

He looked up at me curiously for a while then averted his gaze to look from window. "About a prince from Chie no Oukoku." _[means "Kingdom of Wisdom" in case you forgot]_

"King Takatsuki's son? But I heard that he die... -d..." I stopped with the sentence as I saw, and felt, Shinobu wriggle in my arms so he'd turn around to look me in the eyes.

"Died... Yeah... that's pretty much the status I have with my father as of today." He whispered, hanging his shoulders. It clicked in my head split second before he said the words, but it was only from his behaviour that I was convinced of my guess being surely true.

"But... why?"

"I died for my father not long after we separated... it was on the day of  _sister's_  birthday." Shinobu said the words sister with so much venom in it that I wanted to ask him about it, but I thought it would be better not to interrupt him and so I swallowed my question and let him continue.

"I... I was already head over heels for you, you know? Even back then... and since I wanted to return to you I thought it would be better to tell father before I go... since after the last time I disappeared he has been worrying about me a lot... I told my father about my intentions... he was not what you'd call happy, but also did not really seem to mind... he even encouraged me to pursue my dreams..."

"Then why...?"

"That conversation with father... a man I thought of as a friend, Yato _[blade in the night]_... He overheard the conversation and..." Shinobu stopped for a while and then inhaled deeply. "He placed the flower curse on me..."

"Flower curse?"

"I don't know what else to call it... as it has no other signs on the appearance... it manifested as a white rose... now that I think about it... why white?"

I looked at Shinobu who seemed deep in thoughts and wrapped him in my arms once more. "Most people have white associated with purity, with innocence..."

"And the red?"

"Love... especially when it's red roses." I smiled and kissed him on the cheek gently. "How is that related to curse however? What did the curse say?"

At the changing of colour meanings back to the curse Shinobu's face darkened.

 _"You're never to have a child with a woman... I'll make it so you can stay be with your destined one... Let your blood manifest, let it guide you. "_  Shinobu quoted, changing his voice a bit so it sounded darker. "That's what Yato said."

"But that's not much of a ..."

"... problem? I thought so also...  _at first_... however there was another eavesdropping concerned.  _Sister_... she talked about it with father... She did not hesitate to speak foully of me... twisting the curse' words around. She poisoned my father's mind until he deemed me useless for kingdom."

"But if you told him about me being the king..."

"Yeah, I'd be an important chain-piece in political relations between the countries, I knew that, but... I did not have the confidence back then... I thought that if I appeared and it turned out that you already moved on by the time I would only have more trouble... not to mention you also. Besides, look at us, it took me almost three months before I finally got you back as my lover... I doubt my father would have been patient enough in the mind state he was in..." Shinobu trailed off. I could not really blame him for his black view of things... it had its roots deep inside his soul.

"What happened after that?" I asked after some time passed.

"With what?"

"You know... after the curse. When did you leave the castle? It's been quite a long time since you were pronounced dead." These words went hardly off my tongue.

"I left not too long after. The curse took its toll on me after all. I did not want to stay so close to father, knowing that I'm hurting him, being the failure I turned out to be... and so I left. And after four months of fruitless search I was pronounced dead... that was two years ago." He whispered at the end.

Besides reassuring my distressed lover that he is not a failure even in the least I counted quickly in my head when something hit me.

"I laid my hands on a kid..." I groaned in mock exasperation, underlined by humour enough for my already stressed petite lover to know its hidden meaning.

For a second nothing happened.

After the second of silence I saw a lone tear escape Shinobu's eye and heard a soft laugh escaping his lips. Soon it turned into an exhausted half-laughing half-crying which made me utterly confused.

And so I wrapped my arms around Shinobu even tighter, rocking him slightly, whispering loving words to his ear, until he calmed enough to slip back to sleep.

^(OwO)^

(Misaki's POV)

It was not that uncommon to come back to the room I shared with Shinobu and find it empty, but it was because of the mess it was in that I was worried.

'He must have woken up because of a nightmare...' I analyzed. 'And startled by it he probably went to seek comfort to "Miyagi".'

It seemed quite probable, especially since I knew how dependent Shinobu was on this lover of his. Who was it however, I still did not know.

'I'll ask Usagi-san when I see him next time.' I resolved myself.

Little did I know that it was not the wisest of my choices.

^(OwO)^

(Third Person's POV)

It was only few hours later that Misaki met up with his lover. Mindful of his resolve he asked the Lord about who the "Miyagi" was, not mentioning the lover's past. The response however caught him off guard.

"Where did you hear that? Who did you hear it from?" The Usami asked gripping Misaki's shoulders.

"Usagi-san... you're hurting me..." Misaki only managed to say, struck with shock of the sudden change.

Seeing the hurt look the Lord lessened the intensity of the grip immediately. "I'm sorry..." He mumbled. "But it really is important."

"I heard it from Shinobu." Misaki said in the end, not seeing anything wrong with it. He however missed the strange look that appeared on the silver-haired man's face for a split second.

He missed it and that was why the violet-eyed man was able to continue their day as planned. And after the day passed and the Lord had to attend his duties... it was because Misaki missed the look that the man was left with his thoughts alone.

'This is not even possible!' The man thought to himself furiously. 'How big of an idiot Yoh is to reveal his name to yet another kid?'

'It was hard enough to erase the last one from his mind!'


	9. What They Tell You

(Shinobu's POV)

_The world... That is how much you mean to me. You're all I ever searched for, all I ever wanted..._

_It makes me scared..._

_It makes me terrified that there will come a day... when my world shatters._

^(OwO)^

(Third Person's POV)

Miyagi made sure to have more free time after that one night when Shinobu appeared in tears. He worked twice as hard to be sure to have time to comfort his distressed lover, was there to be need to do so. He wanted to be Shinobu's pillar of strength.

Most of the Lords did not seem to think that anything was wrong with it. On the contrary, they seemed quite pleased with the change. Not the silver-haired man though, the man who knew that there was a reason for the king's sudden change.

And he did not like that fact even in the least.

^(O.O)^

"Miyagi!" Shinobu exclaimed as soon as he saw the man approach him, running in the direction immediately.

"Shinobu…" The man replied softly as the boy ran into his embrace, managing to push all air out of his lungs. The man did not seem to mind too much though.

"On time for once…" Shinobu grumbled, yet the delight in his voice could be heard clearly.

"You know Shinobu… maybe you should try contacting your father…" Miyagi almost whispered once he sat next to his younger lover, circling his arms around the boy's waist. "I'd bet he'd be ecstatic to know you're all right. I'm sure he misses you."

"And I doubt he does." Shinobu replied in even quieter voice, feeling tears gather in the corners of his eyes. "He did not seem to oppose  _that witch_ much…"

Miyagi did not even need to ask who the  _witch_  was, it was pretty obvious from the venom in Shinobu's voice that he was talking about the same woman that the Lords wanted to engage him to. It was quite a bitter irony.

"Even so, he's your father… Parents shouldn't bury their children… even if in mind's terms only." Miyagi sighed. He was at loss about how he could make Shinobu trust his own father again. He was at loss when it came to the boy in more ways than one.

"You know what? Let's stop talking about that, I haven't seen you in like twenty-four hours… The least I expect…" Shinobu stopped all of sudden, leaning closer to the raven-haired man. "…is a kiss."

"I can easily offer you that." Miyagi chuckled as he caught the slender boy by his chin, bringing their lips closer. The man licked the boy's lips, asking for entrance which was granted without a second thought, giving way to a breath-taking kiss.

Once the lovers were finally breathless they pulled apart for a second, only to engage themselves in another set of life-searing kisses moments after.

In the similar fashion the night continued.

^(OwO)^

(Miyagi's POV)

I returned from yet another meeting with Lords as annoyed as usual, if not more. They certainly did not want to make the whole possible-engagement thing drop at all.

'Why doesn't either of them marry her if she is as  _great_  as they say?' I rambled to myself, placing the crown, which brought me so many worries lately, on the table.

It was in this set of mind that Shinobu came to my room. He must have noticed my mood as he did not come jumping as he usually would, instead he approached me cautiously.

"Is everything all right?" He asked, worried. To that I only sighed and shook my head. "And what is wrong, then?"

I had to speak to him of what I thought of, even if I felt that it was not an entirely right thing to do, however it was necessary. I needed courage for that however, and so I wrapped him in my arms, placing a kiss atop his fair hair.

"I need you to speak to your father."

As a response to that, Shinobu stiffened in my arms. "Why?" He asked after a minute of silence.

"You know… Your father he…" I sighed, then continued. "…he offered your sister's hand to me as a way to seal an agreement between our countries."

"WHAT?!" Shinobu seemed shell-shocked by that statement, wriggling from my embrace to look me straight in the eye.

"The Lords, well most of them, seem happy about it, but all I wish is for them to just shut up at times like these." I sighed, rubbing my temples. "That's why I think it would be better for you to contact your father, because then, he'd stop with this…"

"If that is even his idea that is…" Shinobu groaned as he walked away to look from the window. "As far as I know my sister dearest she probably came up with that idea herself, she's really ambitious, not to mention calculating… She probably wants the position of the queen, as she won't get the power of it in our kingdom in an amount she would here... She's got one obstacle down anyway..."

It was at this statement that I realized something. "Ah, that's true… you're the heir to the throne." I mumbled as I walked over to Shinobu.

"Yes, and in our law it stands that the throne is to be taken in man's hands only. The woman is only allowed to stand by the king… if however she managed to get here then she'd have the possibility of being the one in the power."

"Hey, hey! What about me?" I could not help but chuckle as I once again wrapped my arms around the slim waist of my lover.

"There are many ways to make you disappear. It doesn't matter what they tell you, there is always a huge chance that you'd be assassinated… or maybe some " _accident_ " may happen…" Shinobu then trailed off, as if remembering something, as if he  _knew_  of one of the accidents from his own experience.

"Shinobu?" I asked hesitantly, thinking about it for a while. I only continued once he turned to look at me. "What happened the last night you were at the palace in Chie?" I asked, seeing the sad look Shinobu had on suddenly. As I was about to tell him to forget about it, however, he started talking, loosing himself in the painful memory.

^(OwO)^

(Shinobu's POV)

_I just walked away from father, from a talk that was pretty much about disowning only, when I ran into Yato. That I did not really want to associate with him was needless to say. He however seemed to need to talk to me urgently and so I stayed put and actually listened to him._

_" Shinobu-sama, about the spell, it was not to make you…"_

_Suddenly we heard a loud crash that cut him mid-sentence. When he wanted to continue a masked man appeared. Then another. To my surprise Yato sent a spell at them and dragged me away while they were made immobile for a while. He seemed really desperate about talking to me. Besides he saved my life, I owed him at least that._

_"I did not place the spell on you to make you miserable. I **swear**  I did not. You have to believe me!" He said, as he caught me by the wrists._

_"Then **why**?" I asked, pulling away. "Father hates me, I can't even show my face to him, not to mention I'm probably to get killed in the near future and you say you DID NOT WANT TO MAKE ME MISERABLE?!" I screamed. I then turned around, only to pretty much run into these assassins sister sent._

_I was enraged however, and I literally set my body on fire, burning the guys within seconds._

_I must have looked like a full-body torch but I cared about that only a little, I only walked slowly down the palace's corridors, running into few more "surprises" sister must have prepared for me. Mostly men with swords, or some powers, none of them seemed to rule water though. They must have thought I've gone mad anyway._

_Once I got out of the palace I turned back to it only once more._

_Once more, to see the palace for the last time_ _, preparing to leave it behind._

_Once more to see my father looking at me from the windows, an unreadable expression._

"I shouldn't have looked."

^(OwO)^

(Miyagi's POV)

Once Shinobu stopped, choking on the tears, I could not help but pity him. As far as I was concerned, he went through too much... Too much for a boy his age.

I tightened my grip on him, bringing him closer to me so, making the bed we've sat on mid-story creak silently. Seeing that I worked on getting him into the sleeping garments, stopping my eyes on the flower that adorned Shinobu's belly. Knowing what I knew about the man from Shinobu from before, adding all that to what I hear today, I could not help but wonder. 'What is this curse's purpose? What does it really do?'

Once I prepared Shinobu for sleeping, I quickly re-clothed myself also, slipping under the sheets next to Shinobu, wrapping him in an embrace to which he leaned gratefully, entangling his shorter legs with mine.

Entwined like that, we fell asleep.

^(O.O)^

I knew that it was not right to put pressure on Shinobu, especially after last night, however I needed him to at least  _think_  about the conversation we had.

And so I told him that he should think about it for few days, and once he'd come to a resolve, then to come to me. That it was probably better not to see each other during the time. He seemed very upset about that part, and it took a lot of coaxing on my part to get my point across.

And so, kissing Shinobu, smiling at him, telling him that once we've resolved this dilemma, then maybe we'd finally be able to have our very own "Happily ever after" I let the boy go.

Oh gods, if I knew how wrong I was back then... If I knew then, I wouldn't have let him leave.

^(OwO)^

(Shinobu's POV)

I left Miyagi's room sadly, knowing that I really am not to see him for few day's time. I simply knew that I did not have an easy task before me.

It was because of this mess in my mind that I did not notice someone before me until I crashed into the person.

"I'm sorry..." I mumbled once I gathered myself from the floor, only after looking at whom I crashed into. A not very happy Lord Usami as to say. Instead to listening to what he obviously had to say I just brushed past him heading to the kitchen I had duty for the day.

I did not miss the feeling of the Lord following me with his eyes.

That feeling did not leave until I heard doors slam as Usami most probably entered Miyagi's room.

^(O.O)^

Almost a week later, I not only had a choice made, but apparently also a virus of some sort.

Sighing I decided to visit Nowaki-san, knowing that he was the best healer around, and that he would be able to help me.

In the end, after a thorough check, Nowaki-san still could not find what was wrong with me. He said that being stressed must have "helped", but it was not the cause.

Like that he decided to take few samples to run tests at, wanting me to stop by later. I agreed, seeing nothing wrong with it. I expected everything to go smoothly once I talked with Miyagi.

How little did I know...

^(OwO)^

(Third Person's POV)

Once Shinobu stood before Miyagi's room, chamber as to say, his pulse sped up. He was not too sure what caused the reaction, but he did not think that it was a good premonition.

Knocking softly, he entered after hearing a familiar "Come in." from the inside.

Shinobu came in to a sight of Miyagi looking out of the window blankly. There seemed to be something seriously wrong with the sight as far as Shinobu was concerned.

The raven-haired man, probably confused about the silence of the quest turned around and smiled brightly.

"Hello, nice to meet you... are you new in the palace?"

... _and the world shattered_.


	10. What They Do

(Shinobu's POV)

_I once had been told that all happens for a higher reason that gods are up above to guide our steps…_

_Why is it however, that all my steps seem to be lead to disasters only?_

_Oh dear gods, what wrong did I ever do to you?_

_Why do you have to torture me so?_

^(OwO)^

(Miyagi's POV)  _(Third Person's POV)_

 _"Hello, nice to meet you... are you new in the palace?"_  I said smiling at the boy who came to my room.

_If not for the dim light in the room, Miyagi would have noticed the look of utter despair on the said boy's face._

"Y-Y-Your M-Majesty?" The boy stuttered, obviously taken aback by something. There however was a strange voice, deep in my mind, saying how wrong it felt to hear my title fall from this specific boy's lips.

"Yes, that's me." I replied laughing.

_Miyagi  could not see how hard Shinobu shivered. He could not see what he did not expect to._

"I-I-I'm s-s-sorry, I c-c-came into the w-w-w-wrong room." The boy only stuttered, turning around, and was about to leave the room.

"Wait!" I said, causing the boy to jump or at least I thought that was what he did, judging from the yelp and the subtle move I saw. "What's your name?"

_Shinobu  would have screamed in hurt, if he was not so afraid of what reaction would it have on the man before him. That however did not make the teardrops, which were falling down his face silently, disappear._

"S-Shinobu." The boy, Shinobu, said simply. Once again, it rang a bell somehow, yet I could not sort it anywhere. Not to mention I pretty much did not even see Shinobu's face.

'I seriously should consider bringing more light onto the situation.' I thought to myself, half-bitter, half-chuckling.

_The soft breeze Miyagi summoned caused the torches around the room to lighten up, fed by the new air. It however brightened the room for only a second, as Shinobu ordered the fire to die out. Even so the light was enough for Miyagi to catch a glimpse of Shinobu's tear-stained face before the boy ran out of the room, looking at his lover for the last time. He simply knew that staying was not an option anymore._

"What caused that?" I could not help but wonder when I finally composed myself enough to go after the boy. The corridor however has once again become empty.

_The only evidences of Shinobu's recent presence were the dimmed lights of the torches along the walls._

"What was that?"

^(OwO)^

(Nowaki's POV)  _(Third Person's POV)_

'This shouldn't be possible… This  _can't_  be possible! Not with humans that is…' I thought as I looked at the results of the test I've done repeatedly. '… but what is the possibility, that all  _five_  tests would be wrong?'

_Nowaki  looked at the differently coloured potions in front of him, as if he could find an answer in them. It was not there though. They still held colours that shared only one possible result._

It was as I brooded over what it actually meant that the teary eyed source of my confusions stumbled into the room. It took me some time before I managed to calm him down, however the reason for the breakdown still remained unknown to me.

_After all, there was no way that Nowaki would fathom what made Shinobu so unhappy._

"So… What is wrong with me?" Shinobu-san asked me after he calmed down enough to talk. "What's the illness I got myself? I hope it's a deadly one." He muttered at the end. I only widened my eyes t the statement, however stayed professional.

"I tried several tests, Shinobu-san, however the results are quite definite and that is that you're…" I stopped for a while, as if trying to catch the courage. Once I did I continued. "Shinobu-san… I don't know how that is possible, as you are only a human and such, but apparently, you're pregnant."

The boy in front of me looked at me wide-eyed for a while, as if he was searching for some sign that I was faking it, however when he found nothing, he started crying yet again.

_The man looked at Shinobu confused. It was not an unusual sight - for mothers to start crying, once they learned of their pregnancy - however when Nowaki looked at the boy before him, he felt that something was wrong. There was something so immensely sad, so  **desperate** **…**   **hurt**  even, in these tears that he could not help but worry for both, for the boy and for the child._

"You're pregnant, Shinobu-san that means that you're to treat this "illness" as you call it, as any other pregnancy." I said after giving the formulation some thought. As I however wanted to talk to him some more, I only saw how Shinobu-san bowed, showing his gratitude, and then ran out of the room.

_The whole situation's pressure must have been too much on Shinobu._

^(OwO)^

(Misaki's POV)

I was just about to leave when crying Shinobu entered the room after burning the door down. Before I could ask him anything he already started throwing his little amount of possessions into a bag. He did so blindly until I placed a hand on his shoulder.

At that very moment Shinobu dropped the bag he held and broke down in a way I've never seen him do before… not even when he's found out that his love forgot about him.

He buried his face into his palms, screaming in anguish. As I tightened my grip on his shoulder a little he turned to me, red-eyed, and wrapped his arms around me.

"Misaki-chan…" He cried into my shoulder. "Misaki-chan… He… he…" not even ending his sentence Shinobu broke down in another hysterical fit of cries, his legs giving out, making him to fall to his knees.

'Why is it that he always ends up like this?' I sighed as I lowered myself on his level, rocking him slightly until he was calmed down at least a little bit.

"Miyagi?" I asked, taking him by his chin so he'd look me in the eyes.

As a response Shinobu started with the screaming yet again which pretty much answered my question itself.

'What happened?' I asked myself, looking at Shinobu who was now hugging his knees, his whole body shaking. 'He looked so happy lately… How could it go so wrong?'

I looked at the sight before me sadly. It just seemed so  _wrong_ to see Shinobu cry so often.

"Shinobu…" I started, but before I could say anything more, he suddenly started packing his things once again. It was as if he was trying to block his mind with the activity, seeing that I only sighed and helped him, knowing that I won't get anything out of him before I do.

"I'm so sorry Misaki-chan…" He started. The fact that he did not call me so familiarly until stressed greatly I chose not to mention. "… but I … I just really need to leave now…" He stated sounding a bit more collected for the first time since he came.

"It's because of him, right?" I asked, hesitantly, not wanting to evoke yet another break down. Thanks god I did not. I only noted Shinobu nod slightly, tears still streaming down his face.

Hugging him I wished him good luck, and reminding to come back some time soon, at least for a visit.

"I can't guarantee that." He whispered, as he clutched something to his chest. It did not take me long to realize what it was. It was the very same ring that he had when he came. The one "Miyagi" gave him day before they first parted, Shinobu said. The ring that I thought Shinobu gave him back, and which he for some reason or other had back at the moment.

'That's true…' I realized, sighing. 'Why would he even want to come back? To run into his  _apparently ex_ -lover?'

"At least take this, then." I said, getting a specific item out of my chest of drawers. Once I placed it in Shinobu's hand he looked at me in awe.

"You can't give this to me." He whispered, looking at the mirror in his hand.

"Quite the opposite, I  _have_  to… you would just disappear otherwise…" I insisted. "I have the other one, if you need anything, just turn that little leaf on the handle." I said, giving him a wink. "That way we can stay in contact."

"Thank you." Shinobu whispered, hugging me.

After that he bid his goodbye and left.

^(OwO)^

(Third Person's POV)

As soon as Shinobu left the palace, his mood darkened immediately once more. He grieved over the fact that he had to leave the only person he ever loved. Not to mention that the whole predicament of being a single parent scared him.

It was because of the heaviness of his worries that he did not even notice how the person he brushed past widened his eyes, once they touched.

He did not notice how the person looked after him the whole way until he left their field of vision.

He simply did not want to.

^(OwO)^

(Shinobu's POV)

Those words still reverberated in my head.

_"Hello, nice to meet you... are you new in the palace?"_

The recent words… the past words.

" _Who are you?"_

" _It was nice to meet you, Shinobu…"_

'How is it even possible for the world to shatter twice?'

" _You're pregnant."_

I slowly brought my hands up to the stomach that housed the child,  _our_  child, my and Miyagi's child. The knowledge of the child having only one parent as of the current situation was painful.

"Miyagi…" I sobbed, walking down the road, the flickers of flame I summoned, being the only source of light on the moonless night.

I walked whole night, not really paying attention to the carriages that passed me by, nor the fact that I was a pretty easy victim to  _anything_  at the moment. God's however for once were merciful and nothing happened.

It was when the sunrise came that the whole situation dawned on me with its whole, few tons worth, weight.

"Miyagi…" I could not help the strangled cry that escaped my throat. It was simply too much to take.

"Miyagi…" I repeated, feeling as the exhaustion of the whole-night walk dawned on me.

"Miyagi…" I cried, knowing that I most probably won't see the love of my life ever again.

"Miyagi…" I was so sorry for our baby, as it was  _me_ , the parent he or she was to be stuck with… The child would have so much better life if they would be able to choose their  _father_.

"Miyagi…" I whispered only, feeling the blackness take slowly over, feeling my legs give out under me.

'Miyagi…'

^(OwO)^

(Third Person's POV)

It was early morning when a black-haired boy went on his usual walk to the market. He noticed that the person who walked on the opposite side of the road seemed to drag his feet somehow. He noticed the look on this stranger's face, noting that it was definitely not a happy one.

It was also only few seconds later that the youngster saw the stranger fall to the ground.

He ran to the fallen figure immediately, seeing the weariness on his face.

The boy did not think for long and took to the task to take the person to his house.

He was not about to leave the poor stranger to die by the road after all.

^(O.O)^

Shinobu woke up only when another sunrise came. He noted immediately that he was not in familiar surroundings and started to look around himself in panic.

"Ah, you're awake?" He heard suddenly, looking in the direction of the voice.

"You collapsed on the road, yesterday and since I could not possibly let you there, I took you home. I'm Takumi by the way." The black haired boy introduced himself immediately.

"Umm… I'm Shinobu…" the prince got from himself only, taken aback by the talkative boy.

"Shinobu? What a lovely name… Anyway you seemed quite exhausted and so I let you sleep, but I'll let my boyfriend look at you once he comes home. He's a doctor."

"That's okay, I suppose."

Just as this was said a voice rang through the small house.

"Takumi, sweetheart! I'm home!"

"Here, in the bedroom!" Takumi called back, not noticing that Shinobu paled visibly. He only did when his boyfriend appeared on the doorstep, turning white in a second.

"Shi-Shinobu-sama?" the man stuttered, looking at Shinobu, who only looked back at him, the shock written all over the prince's face.

"Yato…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it for today (^w^)/  
> As for Takumi, as you can gather, he is the other OC. I simply loved the two of them when I created them for Pieces of a Heart and could not let them go... so, here they are :D


	11. My Heart, Body and Soul

(Shinobu's POV)

_Treasured trash,_

_Burning flesh,_

_It hurts to see,_

_That you're not here,_

_With me..._

^(OwO)^

(Third Person's POV)

" _Yato..._ " Shinobu breathed, seeing the man, whom he least expected to see right there, in front of him.

"Shinobu-sama!" the said man exclaimed as he fell to his knees before the bed Shinobu was on.

"Stop that Yato, you know I always hated when you called me that..."

"Shinobu, then. We all thought you had died... We searched for you for so long, but to no avail... you just seemed to disappear."

"...Which was exactly what I wanted to accomplish..."

The moment that followed, when the two fell into uncomfortable silence, was when Takumi decided to step into the conversation.

"He's the prince? The one you said disappeared?" He asked, turning to his boyfriend, who nodded in answer to the question. He then turned back to the prince that looked at both of them from the bed.

"How come that you are here, Shinobu-sa... Shinobu?"

There was no need for a verbal answer to that question, as in response Shinobu's expression turned from curious to pained. He started nibble on his lover lip then tears started falling down his face whilst his body started shivering. He shivered so hard that his teeth started to chatter and soon he did not pay attention to his surroundings anymore.

'What if I won't ever see Miyagi?' Was the only thing that was going through his head as he hugged his trembling body, trying to get himself together, but it did accomplish nothing...

The whole thing was observed by the two confused lovers, who were taken aback by such a strong reaction. They did not know what evoked the panic attack, nor did they know how to stop it. Until Takumi came closer to the boy who was few years younger than him.

"Shinobu-san?" He asked gently, seeing that he won't get a reply he sat on the edge of the bed, taking one of Shinobu's hands gently between his own. He put the hand to his forehead and concentrated. He concentrated to feel the shadow that was blocking the shivering prince's ability to reply to them. The shadow of past events, the shadow of worry, the shadow of fear... He needed to push all these shadows aside.

After few minutes he finally retreated, only to see a confused prince looking at him.

"Are you all right now?" Takumi asked, seeing that Shinobu's look did not look glassy anymore.

"Yeah... at least I think so. What happened?" Shinobu asked, massaging his temple with his free hand to get rid of the migraine that decided to reside in his head, much to his dislike.

"You had a panic attack." Yato stated simply.

"It should be taken care of now. I supressed most of the shadows for the time being." Takumi smiled his hand still resting on one of Shinobu's hands.

"You supressed what?" Shinobu asked, confused.

"Shadows... When a traumatic event of sort happens to us, a shadow forms over our heart. I can suppress these shadows and if the shadow is weak I can even get rid of it completely... yours however is a strong one..." Takumi mumbled at the end.

"And how come you can do that? I've never heard of such a power."

"Takumi is a Shadow Elemental." Yato joined into the conversation. "Right, sweetheart?"

"Yeah... not a lucky power if you ask me... it can be useful though." Takumi laughed. "If I say shadow, I mean  _shadow_... with all its advantages."

As soon as he said that Takumi stood up, grinning, walked to the shadowy part of the room and then... disappeared.

^(OwO)^

(Yato's POV)

"I knew you'd do it." I could not help but laugh when I watched Takumi disappear only to appear next to me second later. I also noticed the confused look on the face of Shinobu-sama.

"How..." He only got out, looking from Takumi to the place he was at moment ago and back.

"I can literally disappear in the shadow, and move my body through it. That's why I've always been called "Kage", it means shadow and it is traditionally used in surnames of our family." Takumi said proudly.

"How does that work?" Shinobu-sama asked, apparently interested.

"It is set on the connection of the shadows. That means that if you somehow connected all the shadows in the kingdom, I'd be able to appear in the palace's gardens for example."

At the mention of the palace, me and Takumi both noticed how the expression on Shinobu-sama's face darkened. We both stayed quiet at first, then I gathered the courage to ask.

"Is that where you were, Shinobu-sama? You were at this kingdom's palace?"

This question was replied to by a nod only. I was aware that something  _really_  bad must have happened. The fact that I was not corrected when it came to the title was enough of a proof.

"How long?" I asked, not really expecting an answer. That was why I was surprised when I got one.

"A little over half a year..." I heard the prince mumble. "I've been on this side of borders with Yume for like a year and half though... Maybe more..."

"That's why we couldn't find you..." Yato sighed. "The search was concentrated on Chie's grounds mostly."

"Sister's idea, wasn't it?" Shinobu-sama sneered, something that he pretty much never did.

"Yes, it was, but how...?"

"Let's say that she sent me few visitors to drive me out of the kingdom... Though her initial idea was to simply let me die somewhere... The last of the assassins was a good guy though, he let me go, saying that he will inform the princess of his work being done. As the search was stopped only a week later I'd guess he had really done so."

Needless to say I was shocked by the words I just heard from our future ruler's mouth. I knew that there were assassins after him, I helped him with few after all, but I certainly did not expect them to be sent by the princess.

"It's nice to have a loving family." Shinobu-sama hissed through his teeth. Then he turned to look at me and narrowed his eyes. "And trustworthy friends, right?"

'I knew it would come to this.'

"Yato?" Takumi asked silently as he wrapped himself around my arm, looking up at me questioningly. I only sighed and then turned to the prince.

"Shinobu-sama... Shinobu, I swear that this is just one huge misunderstanding which I can't deny I caused."

"You placed a curse on me by an accident?" I could clearly see the distrust that reigned over these eyes.

"NO! It is not a curse, it's a Heritage spell." I defended myself.

"Heritage... spell?" I could finally see that Shinobu-sama started thinking about the whole meaning of his predicament. I was afraid that he would be too stuck on his opinion to listen to my reasoning. But then again, that was Shinobu-sama for you.

"Yes, a Heritage spell, it was only supposed to awaken the Elemental blood you inherited from you mother's side sooner... It would have probably awakened in two years anyway. You can control fire which is a power your mother did not inherit, given that her body was too weak to handle it... Your grandfather was a full-blooded Fire Elemental. He died shortly after you were born though. That's why you might not remember him."

I was lost in my thoughts for a moment, then returned to the topic, seeing that the prince was anxious to hear his answers.

"I wanted to help you, really, I thought that if you are driven to that man so much you are probably meant to be together, to be "Tied"."

"Tied?"

"Yes, it means being life mates, it's the rare combination of when the heart, the body and the soul all agree on one person. It makes the relationship special, unrepeatable... And with Elementals there is more to it. That's why I thought that it might be beneficial for you to come to your inheritance sooner."

"Why?"

"Well, the first thing is getting to know whether the two of your really are mates, it might be kind of tricky though, I would need the man here..." I sighed, scratching the back of my head.

"Would this have something to do with it?" I heard Shinobu-sama ask. Only a second later I saw him bringing his legs over the edge of the bed, standing on them despite feeling a bit unsteady from the exhaustion of the day. Once he did so he pointed at the rose that was apparently the marker of the spell on his body. What caught me off guard however was the colour.

"Red?" I said, outstretching a hand to touch it. The reaction that came however, made me even more surprised than the rose itself.

It was the way that the prince retreated, placing a protective hand over his stomach, his eyes flashing red for a second, that caught me off guard.

"You are aware?" I asked simply. As a response I got a simple nod which followed only after Shinobu-sama,  _Shinobu_ , hung his shoulders, the bangs falling over his eyes.

"You two really are mates."

Hearing that the once-again-grey eyes locked with mine filled with hope. "Really?"

"It wouldn't be possible if not. It was this specific trait that made me want to bring the blood out sooner. It's only possible after completed mating though."

Shinobu-sama stayed silent, then his eyes filled with tears as he slumped back onto the bed.

"What are the two of you talking about anyway?" Takumi asked, obviously lost. I could not blame him though. I would be lost also if in his place.

'Scratch that, I'd be  _totally_  lost. I'm not even an Elemental.' I thought bitterly.

"Shinobu-sa..." I knew I'll have problems with dropping the title even more if I did not start now. "Shinobu is pregnant." I said after the brief pause.

Takumi looked at me, disbelieving, then at the devastated boy on the bed, then back at me.

"And his mate left him, because of it?" Takumi asked, horrified.

The loud "NO!" stopped any comment I might have had to it.

"He does not know. He wouldn't believe it anyway... He..."

"He what, Shinobu?" I asked, locking my eyes on Shinobu, who's shoulders were once again hung.

"He forgot about me..." I hear what could barely be categorised as a whisper. It was nearly inaudible, yet it's content was almost screaming with hurt.

Both, me and Takumi, stood too shocked to talk for a while... until Takumi managed to form a word.

"How?"

"It's a spell of some sort..." Shinobu started sniffling. "It happened once already... He did not remember me after I came to the palace, half a year ago..."

I was shocked, however there was something in my head, nagging at me to ask.

"Who is this mate of yours, Shinobu?"

He looked at me blankly for a second, then smiled sadly.

"Tell me the highest ranked person of this country you can think of..." he said only.

"Do you get what you are implying?"

"Perfectly."

"No way!" Takumi exclaimed excitedly. "Your mate is king Yoh?"

"Apparently." Shinobu smiled, this time the sadness disappeared for a while.

Only after the first excitement faded was when something hit me.

"Do you realise something, Shinobu?" I asked cautiously. Seeing the question in the grey eyes I continued.

"Do you realise that you are carrying this country's heir?"


	12. In Need of You

(Shinobu's POV)

_Out there, at open sea,_

_Yet also in the bay,_

_Close, so very close to me,_

_Yet also far away._

_Shallow as it seems to some_

_My wound is running deep_

_When not with you whilst I'm awake_

_I cannot think of sleep._

^(OwO)^

(Usagi's POV)

"I think I've lost someone..."

Were the first words I heard from my friend's mouth on our first encounter of that early morning.

"And who would that someone be?"

"I don't know..." The dark grey eyes filled with sadness. "It hurts to not know... It hurts not to have them here... I need them here..."

'The bond has been deeper this time, huh? Why doesn't it surprise me that much?'

"Try not to think of it Yoh, you can try sleeping it off, it's still early, you know?"

"If you think so..."

'Does that mean that the kid is gone? Away from the palace?' I asked myself as I looked after the king. I could not help but sigh. I felt bad for making them both going through this.

I had no choice though. It was necessary.

^(OwO)^

(Misaki's POV)

"I'm fine, Misaki, really..." Shinobu's image in the mirror which I held said. I could clearly see that not everything was so  _fine_  though.

"Are you sure about that?" I asked, sighing. I was worried about Shinobu, he seemed to be on the brink of collapse when he was leaving. At least now, a week later, he seemed a bit livelier.

He talked to me about his new friend, Takumi, and also about a reconciliation with an old friend of his, Yato, whom he met by chance as Yato was, to his surprise, in a relationship with Takumi.

Yato and Shinobu apparently had a misunderstanding between them which had been going on for quite some time, but has now been cleared. He seemed happy about having his friend back, I could see as much.

I asked about his well-being and so, when I suddenly remembered something. I almost wanted to slap myself across the head... If that was physically possible, forgetting an information as grave as that one was.

"And Shinobu, have you heard of it? The king has fallen ill!"

I saw how Shinobu flinched then his eyes widened and I could see the worry written all over his face clearly.

"What happened?!" He wanted to know immediately.

"I'm not really sure, they said that he caught a virus of some sort, but... I've seen him in the garden today. He was walking under the trees, looking as if his mind was somewhere far away... You should have seen the look on his face. He looked so... I don't even know how to explain it... He looked so  _lost._ "

Shinobu's image in the mirror only closed its eyes and I could almost feel the grip Shinobu had on the mirror's handle.

'Why such a strong reaction though?' I did not understand.

"Misaki-chan? I have to go now, is it okay?" He said after a while. Hearing the strain in the voice I did not comply, I only said my goodbye briefly and ended the connection.

Even after the mirror was long since deactivated I stared into it, looking at my reflection blankly. I was not sure whether I understood Shinobu at all.

Yes, I was aware that he adored the king, but the feeling that he emitted when he heard about the illness was not that type of worry one would have over some shallow interest... It seemed to stem from something much,  _much_  deeper than that...

And that was what I did not understand...

'When did their relationship develop so?'

^(OwO)^

(Shinobu's POV)

After ending the connection the mirror provided I put the item away gently, careful not to break it. Once I did so I slumped on the bed, back first, and hugged a pillow. It was poor source of comfort, but I simply needed to hug someone, something...  _anything_...

'Even Lord Sumi would suffice if he was close...' I growled to myself. That thought itself was a proof of my miserable mood.

Then I realized that I had something  _more_  precious to hug,  _someone_  more precious, someone whom I needed to protect.

I placed my hands on my still-flat belly in which I knew a child was growing. Mine and Miyagi's child. A child that was like a jewel created out of true love.

I still had a bit of trouble about wrapping my head around the fact of me being a full elemental now... the fact of me and Miyagi being mates sunk in quite quickly though.

'I always knew that we were meant to be together. The destiny wants us together.' I smiled to myself. 'The baby is a proof of that...' I could already imagine what a happy family we would become.

As my mind worked however it brought me different versions of my possible future... It took a lot of energy to make them disappear.

'Is it so much to hope for a happy future?'

^(OwO)^

(Takumi's POV)

As soon as I entered the door I directed my steps to the room where Shinobu-san was staying. I could not help but worry a bit as I saw him curled on the bed. He had worry etched on his face, even if he seemed was apparently asleep.

"He seems worried about something... What do you think may have happened?" I asked whispering once I returned to Yato, who waited for me in the kitchen.

"We won't know until we ask him. For now we can hope that at least those nightmares of his would stop soon."

^(OwO)^

(Shinobu's POV)

I've seen this dream, this version of my past, a lot.

'What if it actually had went differently?'

_I ran aimlessly, trying to get away from the thugs that were following me._

_I was well aware that I had almost no chance to actually get away, but I wanted to at least try. I was not the one to give up easily. I never was._

„ _Hey cutie~" I heard from behind me._

_I felt disgusted by the man and wanted to throw a fire-ball, or some other flaming object at him, but as soon enough as the man grabbed my hand I could feel my powers being drained._

' _Is that his power?' I thought, panicking, being afraid to find out what others' powers were like._

_I managed to get from the grasp, as the man enjoyed the victory too soon and let his guard down._

_After that I ran for a long time, but after I run into a dead-end I could soon feel myself being pinned to the wall._

'What if it really went like that?'

_Getting my shirt ripped off, I felt the same man who caught me before drain my power as he touched me with his filthy hands…_

_I was not able to manage even a simple fire spell. I was doomed…_

I knew I was this time... the dream always went like that...

There was no Miyagi to help me, no one to help me...

" _Let me go!" I could only scream whilst trying to get from the man's grasp._

" _Why should I? I'm enjoying myself." The man replied only, sneering._

_I felt so disgusted at the man that I wanted to throw up… but I did not have the power to._

What if, at that time, there really was no Miyagi to save me...?

_I felt the man stroking my skin, joined by the rest of his thug comrades soon after. I felt repulsed by the touches, but I could not do a thing._

_With my power being drained..._

_With my hands being held..._

_My clothes being torn..._

_My innocence being stolen away..._

Back then I would not have been able to defend myself... I would have been sullied, if not for Miyagi...

" _Let me go..." The me in the dream whispered only, the bitter tears falling from the closed eyes, having no power to do more._

_The men did not listen though... Why would they indeed?_

"No..." I don't want to see any more of this...

_The hands trailed down my body, eager on taking what they wanted... Not caring about me even in the least._

"NO!" I woke up screaming.

I felt that someone must have helped me to wake up, shaking me to the reality, but the hands placed on my shoulders only startled me more.

"Let me go!" I screamed, slapping the hands away, curling into a shaking ball on the bed, placing my arms around my head as if shielding it.

'What if the dream,  _the nightmare_ , has not ended?'

"Shinobu-san..." Only when this soft voice reached my ears did my mind register that the dream has ended. That the nightmare was over.

"Miyagi..." a sob escaped my lips only, I had no power to say more, no  _reason_  to say more...

'I really need you to hug me right now.'

I think I passed out after that.

^(OwO)^

(Miyagi's POV)

"Miyagi..."

I could hear my name being said by a voice I did not recognize.

I could feel the emotion that seeped from that single word that was my name.

I could feel it all... The loneliness. The pain. The longing. The need.

'Why are they directed at me though? I  _want_  to know...'

^(OwO)^

(Takumi's POV)

"Let me go..."

That was the first thing I could hear once I stepped into Shinobu-san's room.

I was woken up by the enormous amount of shadows gathering in the house... Judging from the way Shinobu-san rolled around the bed, sobbing, crying... I knew for sure that he was the source of these shadows... Well, his nightmares were, to be more precise.

It was not the first time it happened after all.

"No..."

I could hear the desperation in the voice increase and so I stepped closer to the bed, shaking the crying boy's shoulders.

"Shinobu-san..." I said, getting no response. Only when I shook with more power did he wake up though.

"NO!"

I was about to sigh in relief, when suddenly I felt my hands being slapped away.

"Let me go!" Shinobu-san screamed, closing into himself. He still was not free of the dream's influence.

I concentrated on swatting the oncoming shadows away, luckily to a success. Only when I was sure that I had at least small chance to be heard did I talk again.

"Shinobu-san..."

His eyes seemed to focus on me for a second when I called out to him. The recognition seemed to fade when the name, "Miyagi", left his lips.

Then he passed out.

Once he did, the shadows started to decline.

I finally sighed in relief as I've seen Shinobu-san started breathing evenly. It was a sign of dreamless sleep. The one the boy seemed to need the most at that moment.

When I was placing a blanket, that Shinobu-san kicked from the bed, I heard the floor creak behind me.

"Again?" I heard the unmistakable voice of my lover say.

"Again." I replied, turning to him. "What do you think would actually help him?"

"I'd say seeing the man, but that seems to be quite a feat to accomplish, as he refuses to even say more about the situation that caused this in the first place... Not to mention that people at the palace are difficult to approach even normally, not to mention when they're the king themselves..." Yato growled. "It would help us if we knew more."

"Don't you think we know enough?" I said simply, standing up from the bed.

"What?"

"We have the name, the position, and the fact that the one who took away the king's memory must be someone close to him. I don't think that it would have happened twice otherwise." I said only, closing the door of the room behind myself.

"I guess you're right. It does not make it any less complicated though."

"It certainly does not... Shouldn't we try anyway?" I sighed once again, for what seemed like millionth time that night.

"What should we try?"

_Sigh..._

"To try and approach him of course!"


	13. Shaken by the Lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beware and prepare yourselves ,there are two attempts at poetry in this chapter xD

(Third Person's POV)

_He only feels broken,_

_From their every lie._

_They won't let him see his love,_

_They won't let him cry..._

^(OwO)^

(Shinobu's POV)

"How do you feel today?" Asked Takumi as he sat on the edge of my bed, placing the tray with food, which he brought, on my legs gently right after.

"What's with the breakfast delivery?" I chuckled only, seeing the mouth-watering food in front of me. "I'm not even on a bed rest any more."

"I just wanted to make something for you..." Takumi pouted, seeing offence in not being seen as generous enough to make breakfast just because. "Besides... I have loads of free time for the time being, with Yato being away on an assignment."

"And so you feel lonely?"

"I'd say yes, but that does not seem as an appropriate thing to say, given the situation _you_  are in, Shinobu-san..." Takumi sighed and was about to get up, but I stopped him by catching him by his wrist gently.

"You don't have to go, I'd welcome company." I smiled. I was pleased when it had the desired effect and the Shadow Elemental decided to stay.

"I adjusted it according to your latest cravings, does anything seem off?" He asked after a while.

"It's perfect." I said with my mouth half-full, crumbs falling from my lips. I enjoyed the bread, I had the day before, which was spread with butter, garnished with eggs, cheese and apples cut in slices, highly. That morning's bread was however also topped with jam and it added to its attractiveness greatly.

I realized somewhere in my mind that my stomach would have been twisting if in normal mind-set and body's condition... that however I was not in at the moment, and so I enjoyed my breakfast for all it was worth.

"I still don't get how you can eat that Shinobu-san..." Takumi smiled, his face turning in a grimace of horror.

"You'll understand the appeal of this meal once." I said, winking teasingly. The way his face turned red in a second was simply hilarious. I however did not plan to make it that hard for him. I was grateful to him for not being left on the road-side after all. And so I only smiled.

"I just wanted to remind you of that."

He seemed calmed down once I did, judging from the way he smiled back at me.

"In the future... I like the sound of that. Having a big, loving family. Welcoming Yato when he comes home..."

The way he was getting lost in his beautiful fantasy was kind of cute. It however also caused a wave of sadness to crash over me. Making me realize that I am not likely to have such a happy ending.

It did not take Takumi long to realize my mind's set. I think it had something to do with his power over shadows.

"I am so sorry. I got caught up." He started apologising. I stopped him however, it would not be fair of me to want him to stop dreaming.

"It's nothing... I need to come to terms with my not-so-rose-colored future anyway. I just thought... that maybe,  _maybe_ we would have some future  _together_. I must have been foolish to think that..." I shrugged my shoulders not wanting to talk any more, I however could not pent the feeling up properly and so I continued.

"I've waited for him for so long. He promised me. Why does everyone lie to me? Even that future reader... One would think that if they were not good they would not last long."

"What future reader?" Takumi seemed curious.

"We, being me and my friend Misaki, went to a town. That was right after I got to know that I've been forgotten for the first time. There was a woman, Madame Mysteria or something... She was reading my future from the cards. She had read my past quite good even present and so I thought that maybe she would be a good one... her prediction of my future however... che, I don't see it anywhere near, only thing she did predict right was the whole splitting up thing... well and then..." Suddenly a part of what the mysterious woman said appeared in my mind.

" _Rest, lifting of burdens, better times... Can also_ _be_ _associated with children…"_

The situation struck me with irony somehow and I started laughing.

"Yes. She was right about that also."

I noticed Takumi looking at me, not understanding. I explained it to him quickly and he nodded, getting the situation.

"What did she tell you after? What were the two last cards?"

"I don't remember exactly, but the first was something about lies, misunderstandings and so... the last one though..."

"A bad card?"

"Not at all..." I frowned. "That's why I say that she was only lucky with her predictions, there's no way that the last card's meaning can actually come into reality." I groaned, then I remembered something. "I have the card actually... I can show it to you." I said, getting up from the bed to search my things a little. It did not take long for me to find the card.

"Here it is." I said, handing the offending item to Takumi.

"But that's a lucky card..." Takumi mumbled once he got his hands on the card, then returned it to me. "Why don't you want to believe it? What's so improbable about having a happy ending?"

I looked him straight into the eyes then I only sighed.

"You and Yato said it yourself when I came. That we are  _mates_. " _Tied_ " as Yato called it. We are  _meant_  to be together. I  _can't_  have a future without Miyagi. I  _don't_ want a future where Miyagi is not, but... How can I have a happy ending with someone who does not even remember my  _name_?!"

^(O.O)^

_Endless fall,_

_Winter's call,_

_There's no future I want,_

_In which you're not,_

_At all..._

^(OwO)^

(Yato's POV)

'You know, your majesty, being the king you are, you are quite unreachable... kind of unlucky for me, if you were to ask.' I growled to myself as I looked at the large building the palace was. I could only sigh at its enormous size.

'How am I supposed to find one person here?'

I however must have been lucky that day as I retreated to the gardens, only to find the man in question sitting under one of the trees, staring up to the tree's crown sadly.

It was as if the man grieved for the leaves that were turning red and were to die soon. He looked as if he was lost in his own mind, not to mention the palace.

"Where are you?" I heard him say to no one, as he let a falling leaf fall gently onto his open palm.

"Why aren't you here?" He continued, tracing the leaf's shape with his finger.

"How can I find you?" He continued asking, letting the leaf fall off his hand only to be picked up by wind second later.

"Who are you?" Asking that he placed his arms on his lap. His look turning into even more distant one than he had up till then.

'That's what you get when you separate mates for a month...' I sighed to myself. I knew that we should soon await such a turn for worse with Shinobu-sama also.

He however had a part of his mate with him, in a form of their child, thus that phase was going to be delayed a bit.

How long would the king be able to withstand the pain it brought him though? I had no idea.

^(O.O)^

I remained in the vicinity of the palace for the few days that followed.

I watched how the king always sneaked into the garden, only to be reprimanded for it by one of the Lords later, then led back to the palace. The next day however, the king was there again, not caring for the Lord's word at all, it seemed.

'The koi pond...' I thought to myself looking at the surface of the water that the king gazed at from under one of the trees, on his usual sitting spot. 'That was where they were meeting up, Shinobu-sama said.'

I could only sigh at the situation.

It seemed that the king missed Shinobu-sama greatly, even if on a subconscious level only. It meant that there was a hope for getting the king's memories back. The fact that the separation affected him so much after a month only, however also meant that we did not have that much of a time to do so.

'Maybe we could bring Shinobu-sama to at least speak to him once, then the breakdown would slow down a little.' I wondered. 'Would Shinobu-sama be able to bear it though? It would be contra-productive if we helped the king, but let Shinobu-sama turn for worse.' I had no idea what else to do though.

'This is just so damn complicated.'

I walked slowly through the garden, lost in my thoughts, only to bump into someone in my daze, causing them to drop a bouquet of flowers.

"I'm sorry." I apologized immediately, bending to pick up the flowers from the ground. It was because of that that I realized who I bumped into only after I stood up to hand the flowers to the person.

"Are you Misaki-san?" I asked, seeing a person who matched Shinobu-sama's description way too much to be any different person.

"Well, I am... but... Who are you, may I ask?" Misaki-san tilted his head, his green eyes widening slightly.

"Ah, excuse my rudeness. My name is Ookushi Yato." I smiled, bowing formally.

I saw how Misaki-san seemed to search his mind for a moment, then his eyes sparked with realization.

"Yato-san? You're Shinobu's friend?"

That caught me off guard.

"Shinobu-sa...n..." I was almost sure that Misaki-san was not told about Shinobu-sama's status and so I covered my slip simply. "... He told you about me? What did he say? If you don't mind asking."

"Ah, he told me that you and his lover have been treating him kindly." Misaki-san smiled. It however only confused me even more.

"He told you? When? I don't remember ever seeing you before."

"I..." He looked uncertain for a moment then continued. "I gave him one of my Communication mirrors... I was afraid what he'd do if I did not check up on him from time to time. Since he's run into you and... Takumi-san, was it? I am not so afraid now."

I looked at the sincerity in the younger boy's face in amazement. I was sure that this was someone Shinobu-sama could call his  _friend_  with no doubts.

"I'm glad that you were with him for the half-year he stayed in the palace." I voiced my gratefulness. "I'm sure things would look differently if you were not by his side, thank you." I smiled, placing a hand on Misaki-san's shoulder.

"You sound awfully official, Yato-san." Misaki-san laughed. Then he changed the topic however. "Now that I think of it... What were you doing in the garden?" He asked, apparently curious.

"It's a secret, but..." I started, winking, then continued. "... I was checking up on Shinobu-san's lover." I grinned.

"Really? But no one really goes there, except for the gardeners... and the king."

"You've seen him there often?" I asked, sensing a source of some information.

"He went to gardens even before, but lately he spends all of his time there. Even time he should not, actually. He always walks through the garden, looking absent-mindedly ahead... As if searching for something..." He sighed. I knew that he was worrying about king also.

"Maybe he really does..." I went silent for few seconds but then I decided I had to say some more before I leave, giving the boy a chance to uncover the truth himself.

"I have to leave now, but can you promise me something?"

After getting a short nod, I continued.

"Can you promise me, that even if the king's condition worsens that you won't speak of this to Shinobu-san? I'm afraid he wouldn't take it well."

"He did not take it well the last time also..." I heard Misaki-san mumble.

"What?"

"I mentioned the king's deteriorating health in one of our conversations. He looked all worried and scared all of sudden. Not to mention that he ended the connection only about a minute after..."

"Well, I can't say I blame him... Anyway, can you promise me that you won't tell?"

"I promise."

"Good that means that I can go now... Except... Let me tell you something. I do not go into action without a plan. If I'm looking for someone, I have to know where he is, before going after the person..."

I could almost see the brain, that was in that brown-hair-topped head, think furiously. It was time to leave. Not without the parting words though.

"I just wanted to give you something to think about... It was nice to meet you, Misaki-san."

^(OwO)^

(Misaki's POV)

What Yato-san said stayed in my mind. It made me think so hard that I was sure my brain would melt and come out through my nose.

'What did he mean by all that?'

_" _If I'm looking for someone, I have to know where he is, before going after the person..."__

'And what exactly does that have to do with me?'

_" _I was checking up on Shinobu-san's lover."__

_" _Really? But no one really goes there, except for the gardeners... and the king."__

As my thought became all jumbled more memories started appearing in my head.

_" _It's about ten o'clock , we'll need to go and start preparing the dinner in about half an hour, so it's just enough time_ _to... ask some questions...What_ _did happen to you during night? And why did His Majesty of all people carry you back here?"__

'Would the king do that for just anyone? And why was he be near him anyway?'

_" _Hey Shinobu! Look! His Majesty!"__

_" _I know about him."__

'How could I have cast aside the way he blushed?'

" _My Miyagi..." I heard my roommate mumble in his sleep as he hugged his pillow closer._

_I could only chuckle softly at the sight. However at the same time the repeatedly asked question appeared in my mind as it did at least once every day._

' _Who's this **Miyagi**?'_

_I was pretty certain that there was no one of the name at the palace... or at least was not **called**  that._

'Certainly so... What's the king's surname anyway?'

" _Keep this card." The woman, Madame Mysteria, said, giving Shinobu the lucky card. "It may do you good." She winked._

" _Thank you very much." Shinobu said, bowing._

_" _No need to… Just remember, Shinobu-san, your king's fate is bound to you."__

'Can it really be the king? It can't be can it?'

" _I trust him, besides... I have him somewhere where I can keep an eye on him, just in case."_

" _And where would that be?"_

_" _That's a secret."__

'Which position is less gossip-imune than the king's stool? None. If he was unfaithful, Shinobu would have known that in the day it happened even...' I thought bitterly.

'How would it even be possible for him to meet the king before though? They were lovers in past... but the king did not leave the palace in like two yea...' I suddenly stopped. 'Shinobu never mentioned how long has it been... only that it was  _very_  long ago...'

I sighed and massaged my temples.

'Okay... So let's say that the king is Shinobu's lover... Why would Shinobu leave so suddenly though? And why is the king so out of it?'

Being lost in my thought like I was I did not hear Usagi-san sneak behind me and so I jumped when his arms curled around me. It did not lessen the happiness I felt from the touch at all.

The presence of his however reminded me of even more memories associated with my current problem.

_"Who's Miyagi?" I asked._

_"Where did you hear that? Who did you hear it from?" The way Usagi-san gripped my shoulders was painful._

_"Usagi-san.. you're hurting me..." I only managed to say, struck with the shock of the sudden change._

_Realizing the meaning of the words Usagi-san lessened the intensity of the grip immediately. "I'm sorry..." He mumbled. "But it really is important."_

_"I heard it from Shinobu."_

'That was only few days before Shinobu disappeared... which was few days before king started behaving like he does… And it's getting worse... ' I could make a list of negative effects on king that started after Shinobu left, it would be pointless though. I had more thinking to do.

Suddenly as if struck by lightening my own words replayed in my head.

_" _Usami-san is a summoner. He summons bears of all weights and heights and I heard that his most powerful summon, Suzuki, is something you would not want to mess with… He has a memory suppressing powers also… that's why he's called the most powerful man after the king..."__

"No..." I whispered, wide-eyed, only then realizing fully that I was in Usagi-san's arms, as he squeezed me softly.

_" _He… he… do-doesn't remember…"__

I turned slowly in the embrace, facing my lover.

"You didn't... Tell me you didn't...  _Please..."_  I voiced, still half-lost in my thoughts.

"And what shouldn't I have done?" I heard the reply back.

_" _Misaki-chan… He… he…"__

"Please tell me you were not the one who drove Shinobu-chan away..." 


	14. I Know That His Soul Cries

(Shinobu's x Miyagi's POV)

_I only feel the emptiness,_

_Right where my heart should be,_

_It stays there almost soundless,_

_Reminding me of thee._

^(OwO)^

(Third Person's POV)

_" _Please tell me you were not the one who drove Shinobu-chan away..."__

The moment these words left his lover's lips Usami stiffened. He was not sure what to do, how to react, how to respond...

That hesitation, of course, did not go unnoticed by the young flower user.

"You did! You made the king forget him! Why? What is so wrong with falling in love? Why? What did the king do that made you mess with his memories? What did Shinobu-chan ever do that you had to take his happiness away? _Twice!_ "

"Wait a moment, twice?" He asked stunned by the words, hoping that his lover is not angry enough to choke him with roses before they would actually come to resolve something.

"Huh?"

The two stared at each other for a short while then the Lord asked again.

"He was in relationship with Yoh  _twice_?"

"Well... yes, but what..."

"And Yoh actually  _remembered_  them being in relationship?"

"Well, at first not, but after spending some time together Shinobu said that the memories returned for the most part..."

"That's not possible..." The Lord breathed out, disbelieving.

"Why?"

"There's no way that someone, king or not, would be able to simply break themselves free of the spell. The only way  _I_  know of is quite a difficult potion. Naturally it happened only like two or three times, and that was when there was some stronger outside power involved." Usami mused to himself. The content of the musing did not make Misaki happy in the least. It only confirmed what he thought.

"So it really was you..." He whispered, hunching his shoulders. He was sad about the fact. He always thought of his lover as someone kind. What was he supposed to think now?

Sensing his lover's distress, the Lord turned his attention to him immediately.

"Misaki, it's not how you may think it is at all..."

"And what is it then?" Misaki was afraid to hope. He did not want to be disappointed in the end.

The Usami sighed, and sat on the nearest thing he saw, bed, bringing Misaki down also to let him sit on his lap.

"I think I should tell you how it was the first time."

^(OwO)^

(Miyagi's POV)

'There's a presence missing next to me. A presence of someone who should be here with me always. Presence of a boy I share my heart with. This soul of mine cries for him.'

"Where is he though?"

^(OwO)^

(Third Person's)

Walking through the garden silently, Sumi saw the king watching the koi pond's surface intently. If one could call the empty gaze king had  _intent_  that was.

Sumi could clearly see the weaknesses of the king. They centered in king's heart and mind - signifying memories mostly. He had no intent to use these against the man though.

'This is just so messed up.' He sighed to himself. Then however he heard someone approaching and decided that it was time to leave. It was better if he was not seen after all. Most of the Lords were adamant on thinking that he was out to hurt the king.

'If only they knew the truth.' the silver-haired Lord thought as he walked towards the palace. Letting his thoughts going stray.

'I wonder if Takahiro is back already... Someone to tease would be appreciated and besides...'

It was because of his occupied mind that he did not notice a person that went past him in the direction he came from.

The person who came to the king, placed an object in his hand, and left shortly after.

It was because of this that no one had seen how the the king came into awareness for few seconds...

"Shinobu..." He whispered, kissing the locket in his hand... and then he slipped back into obliviousness.

^(OwO)^

(Misaki's POV)

I was watering flowers, replaying what Usagi-san said to me.

_"Do you remember the time like two and half years back? The time Yoh "took vacation" for a few weeks?" Usagi-san asked, obviously giving some thought to formulation of the events he wanted to speak of._

_I nodded only and he continued._

_"And I also guess you remember how giddy, almost disgustingly happy he seemed when he returned."_

_Once again I nodded only._

_"I did not know the reason immediately. It was only later, over drinks, quite a few of them, that Yoh shared some talk about his "sweetheart" with me. Not the identity though... Back than I was happy for him, I seriously was, but then... the riot in the Akuma no Oukoku broke out. You know how demons can get even normally. There however was something different this once. Something evil was hidden, lurking beneath it all." He stopped for a while, probably checking whether I was still listening. Seeing my head tilted slightly, expecting continuation, he continued._

_"One day, a messenger came. He brought a threat as to say..."_

_'How is it even possible that it went past my attention back then?'_

_"They wanted Yoh to come, but they were masters in seeking weak points."_

_"Like Lord Sumi." I said bitterly ans Usagi-san only smiled sadly at that._

_"In the end I had to erase Yoh's memories of the time they spent together. I did it because I wanted to **protect**  them!"_

_"Why go to such drastic measures?"_

_"We even had to close borders for more than a year, that was how ser_ _ious it got."_

_"I almost forgot about that... That's why Shinobu did not come sooner." I sighed. This was replied to by nod only._

_Then however I realised something. "Why do it again then? What reason was there this time?"_

_"I had to..."_

_"Why?"_

_"They realised something is happening. That Yoh is seeing someone. You know just how happy he was lately... And then there was the possible engagement with the daughter of king Takatsuki..." I saw just how much was Usagi-san hurting for his friend, but also was I not sure how would **I**  be able to help._

_"That is not fair... the king does not even like women, besides it's not like he really needs the heir."_

_"Well, there was a male child in their family, the prince. He disappeared, around the same time Yoh did, now that I think about it... But once he returned there was some attack and he was proclaimed dead soon after." Usagi-san sighed, running his hand through his hair._

_"Ah, yes, Shinobu-sa..." Suddenly I had to stop myself._

_I felt my eyes widen and I could see that Usagi-san's were doing the same. We looked at each other dumbfounded. Then I found my voice._

_"It can't be... can it?" I asked, stunned._

_"It's not impossible... And it fits into the timeline and the surrounding facts way too perfectly if you ask me. When he disappeared and appeared again. The fact that neither were too obliging when giving information about each other. And he's a **fire user** , and a good one. And guess what the "late" prince was? How could I have not seen it sooner?" Usagi-san exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air, standing up only to pace around the room._

_"We have to contact him!" I said immediately. Only to have Usagi-san look at me strangely._

_"You have the means to do so?" He said simply._

_"Ah, yes. I gave him one of my Communication mirrors. It only works when he has his around though." I sighed and went for the mirror. When I returned with it I sat down and turned the leaf on the hadnle._

_That one time however there was no reply from the other side._

'I have to try later also.' Replaying my three more tries that followed in the day after.

I only hoped that it did not mean that something happened to Shinobu-chan.


	15. He Feels the Loss Too

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [I'm especially proud of this one poem at the start (^^)... don't mind me...]

(Shinobu's x Miyagi's POV)

_There's nothing such as painful_

_As having broken heart,_

_I'm no one, nothing's left of me,_

_Just useless broken part._

_There simply is no sound as sad_

_As of the piano missing keys,_

_It drives me insane, drives me mad_

_Yet brings me down to tears._

_I cannot stand another day_

_In which I don't know what you do._

_I hope world would just come as may,_

_If only I knew what is true._

_I'm breaking apart..._

_I miss you..._

^(OwO)^

(Third Person's POV)

It took only about a day for Yato to return back to his household shared with Takumi. He was already eager to be with his lover, not having seen him for almost two weeks.

Letting his lover know about his arrival beforehand, he expected to see him wait for him, but the place at which they usually met at during occasions like these held no trace of the shadow elemental. That was when Yato realized that something must have happened.

He only hoped that it was not what he feared would happen in his absence.

^(OwO)^

(Takumi's POV)

When I hear the soft sound of the opened door I did not jump and go greet my lover as I usually would. I only stayed hunched over the boy who was lying on the bed, staring at the opposite wall apathetically. I held one of his hands between mine, concentrating on the shadows of his heart, this time however I knew that it was not going to be as simple as it was for the first time. Quite the opposite. To push the shadows aside has proven to be nearly impossible. I only managed to get rid of the shallower ones. The rest however stayed in their place, unmoved.

It was like that, with my forehead resting on the joined hands that Yato found me.

"Welcome back..." I greeted him weakly. The use of my power was exhausting if used as often and in such extent as I had to with Shinobu-san.

"How is he?" Yato asked after greeting me back and placing a kiss atop my head.

"It's bad." I sighed. "He slipped into this three days ago and I can't really get him to come back."

"He's not able to... Not unless we somehow manage to bring him to the king, who is even worse off, I have to mention." Yato sighed.

I Takumi wanted to reply to that somehow, but I was cut off with a raised hand.

"What is that?" Yato asked suddenly.

I did not know what he was talking about until I turned around and saw a soft glow come from the bag where Shinobu-san kept his things usually. Before I could even reply to that, Yato was already retrieving the item from the bag. The Communication mirror.

I wanted to ask Yato about it, but I was not let to, as he turned the leaf on the handle of the mirror and a face of a boy I did not know appeared on it. Seeing his features however, I dared to guess that it was Misaki-san who Shinobu-san has been talking about before. His friend from the palace.

I could see surprise on the boy's face once I came closer, along with a soft voice.

"Yato-san?" He asked, tilting his head slowly. Then his voice got a worried tone however, "Why are you the one taking the call, Yato-san? And why weren't my previous calls replied to? What happened to Shinobu?" He was starting to sound frantic.

"I don't think that I can tell you good news..." sighed Yato, his expression turning sad as he tried to ignore the horrified face of Misaki-san.

"I'm afraid that Shinobu-sama is slipping into oblivion just as the king does."

I was just about to mention Yato's slip with the title when Misaki-san exclaimed loudly. "Sama! So he really is the prince?" He asked.

Now it was mine and Yato's turn to say something, however we were too stunned to do so.

"Ho- How did you...?" I asked after gathering my speech somehow.

"We figured it out." Admitted Misaki-san, motioning for someone to come into the view also.

"Lord Usami!" I breathed out in disbelief. This was getting more and more confusing.

The silver-haired man sighed in defeat as he saw me. He then put his arm around Misaki-san's shoulders, as if Misaki-san was a means of support for him, and looked at us seriously.

"I think I should explain something to you..."

^(OwO)^

(Third Person's POV)

'I like it here, it's so quiet...' Thought the brown-haired prince as he walked down the street of a quiet city. The fact that no one was in sight had quite a lot to do with it.

'No one here to hurt us, right?' The boy smiled as he stroked his slightly bulging abdomen lovingly.

'... but no one to talk to also...' He then saddened. Suddenly he realized that the city was not that unknown to him actually. He knew he has been to this city before... and spent a meaningful time there.

'Ah, that's true. It was here, wasn't it?' He wondered, changing the direction of his walk, almost running. Only when he saw the a familiar house did he slow down.

The boy smiled at the sight, walking to the entrance of the house slowly.

"I'm home..." He called out softly as he pushed the door open. It was more from the habit than of expectation of response that he did so. He expected no one to be in the house.

It was because of this that he almost jumped when the door that were on the other side of the hall opened suddenly.

"Welcome... home..." Came the almost silent words falling of the lips of a man who seemed as shocked as Shinobu was.

The shock literally fell from the boy however as he ran to the man, throwing his arms around the man's waist. He then started crying loudly.

"Miyagi..." He repeated over and over as he drenched the man's shirt with tears through and through. The king only smiled kindly at that, patting the boy's head.

"You have such a manly way of crying..." _[This line is borrowed from the manga]_  Miyagi laughed, pulling the boy closer to him, burying his face in the boy's hair. He then stayed like that until the intensity of the crying faded a little and the boy was able to speak coherently again.

"I missed you so much." The boy mumbled into the wet shirt.

"As did I..." Came the soft reply, along with a kiss.

The two separated only when the need of air became unbearable.

"So..." started Miyagi as he led Shinobu to the living room and sat on the couch only to pull the boy to sit on his lap second later. "... Now that we reestablished our longing for each other... Where are we exactly?"

^(OwO)^

(Yato's POV)

Lord Usami has just ended with his explanation of his role in this whole predicament when suddenly Takumi's head shot up, turning to look at our sleeping guest.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" I asked, seeing the stunned face of my lover.

"No..." He breathed as he sat on the bed next to the boy who was now curled around a pillow. "Quite the opposite actually. The shadows... They are receding."

I wanted to say something to that when suddenly tears started streaming down Shinobu-sama's face.

"Miyagi..." This one name, spoken softly over and over, was echoing through the room which was completely silent otherwise.

I would have thought about trying to wake up the prince... if not for the smile that took residence on his face. It was cute to look at, actually.

Then a paragraph from the book about Elementals I've read popped in my mind.

_...Elementals are creatures that live off the closeness of their mate, once mated successfully. In case of two very powerful individuals the bond can induce creating a mind link, also called "Mind tie". It is said that it is created after a long separation and is usually taken as a first step to the final fading of the "Tied" pair. Preceding step being the loss of connection to reality. Then the second (first for usual pairs) being the drastic drop in the power and the third being the actual death of the two..._

'Well.. they  _are_  both quite high in the hierarchy of both, people and creatures... so it shouldn't be impossible...' I thought. Then I had to voice something aloud.

"Lord Usami, I would recommend you to go and check on the king." I said in the end, already forming a plan.

"Why, what is happening Yato-san?" Asked Misaki-san immediately.

"We need to get the two of them together as soon as possible." I sighed, rubbing my temple. It was giving me a headache already.

"Wha-..." Started to say Takumi, then looked at the boy who was mumbling quietly into the pillow, talking to his mate. Takumi must have realized as he looked at me desperate, getting the situation. He was not an elemental for nothing. Of  _course_  he would realize what the boy's behaviour meant. He only had to be pushed to put the pieces together.

The two on the other side of the mirror had no idea what was happening, and so I summed it up in one sentence.

"If we don't manage to get them together soon... they'll die."


	16. Gods, Don't Let Us Rue

(Shinobu's POV)

_I am always kept in dark,_

_Ah, the hated blindness._

_Look at me please, someone! Hark!_

_I'm, by no means, worthless._

_I still bear our little spark,_

_The one which pure hearts bear._

_For me it is your precious mark,_

_Our gentle, tiny, beloved lark,_

_I do love you,_

_I swear._

^(OwO)^

(Third Person's POV)

The two pairs had a lot preparations to do, they however also knew that they should not waste the time. It was the one thing that they did not have enough of.

Even so it too almost two weeks before Shinobu was moved to the palace, given that they needed to advance as discreetly and as safely as possible, given Shinobu's state and status, not to mention that if something happened to him the king would die also.

It was one hell of a tricky situation.

^(OwO)^

(Miyagi's POV)

As much as I loved seeing Shinobu after so long, I could feel that there was something wrong with the situation we met in.

If I only could point at it.

"Miyagi." I heard a whisper as arms wrapped around me. "Are we going to die?"

I had to stop myself at this question, not to mention the tears I saw in Shinobu's eyes when I turned to face him.

"It occurred to you also?" I sighed only in the end, cupping his cheek with my hand.

"I don't want to die. I... I haven't told you yet..." He whispered, biting his lower lip, lowering his gaze so he was looking at the floor.

"What about?" I asked, letting my hand coax him gently to look at me.

I did not get an answer though.

I only saw how Shinobu bite his lip nervously, hard enough to draw blood. Then he opened his mouth and instead of an answer his eyes rolled back and he fell unconscious into my arms. After that I only had just about time to place him gently on the floor before the darkness engulfed me also.

^(OwO)^

(Takumi's POV)

I saw how the two lovers, who we placed next to each other on the bed, entwined their fingers hesitantly first, then how the king pulled the smaller boy closer to him, wrapping him in his arms. The prince then cuddled into the older man's embrace and sighed blissfully.

"Good grief... I was afraid we would arrive too late..." Yato moaned as he massaged his temples.

"Well,..." I started. "It's not really all that over really..."

Yato looked at me horrified. "You mean that they can still die from the separation?"

"Theoretically, yes, you did not miss the changes in the powers, did you?" I asked. Only when I saw a slow nod did I continue. "That was the second stage of it... and it is harder to get from that stage back to normal... but..."

"But what?" Yato interrupted before I had the chance to continue.

" _But_ , these two are really strong, as is their connection... I think they would wake up even if it was for the sake of seeing each another once more." I smiled.

"Yes, the willpower is scary almost." Yato laughed. "It was a wonder that they endured it without each other for so long... Do you think that the child had its part in it also?"

Before I could answer to that the other half of our get-the-mates-back-together plan came through the door.

"How are they?" Misaki-san asked immediately, seeing the sleeping pair. They were now curled around each other in a way that screamed of love.

"They'll recover." I said with a confidence, seeing the two. "I do believe they will."

^(OwO)^

(Third Person's POV)

It however took another week before the pair woke up. And of all moments it happened when neither of the four guardian angels was around.

Miyagi woke up first. He saw only darkness at first, but soon it cleared and he was able to see his surroundings. It took a moment later to become aware of the warm body curled around him. Although once he did his eyes filled with tears.

"Shinobu..." He whispered, his voice raspy from not using it much in the past weeks.

At the sound of his name the smaller of the lovers moved a little, waking up seconds later. It also took him a moment to take in his surroundings though.

Before he came to awareness he was already showered with gentle kisses his lover adored him with.

"Mi-... yagi..." He then realized, reaching his hand out, to touch his lover's face in disbelief. He almost jumped when the king took the hand that cupped his cheek gently and placed a feathery kiss onto the palm.

"Miyagi!" The boy then exclaimed, convinced of the trueness of what was happening, throwing his arms around his lover, crashing their lips together.

"As much as I'm happy that you two woke up and are apparently remembering each other eagerly I think that we should all talk first." Came the voice of the Lord Usami who stood by the door, looking at the love-birds with a smile.

"Shinobu!" Came the excited voice of Misaki, who then pretty much landed on the bed next to his friend. "How come you never told me you're a prince?"

Shinobu's eyes widened first, then he began to bite his lower lip nervously. What was he supposed to say?

"I think that can wait for later." Miyagi intervened, seeing his distressed lover, and holding his neck as his vocal cords protested to cooperate after the long disuse. "Can someone enlighten us as on what happened first?"

The four "informed" looked at each other, not knowing who should start. It was a long story to tell after all.

Seeing the hesitation the Usami sighed. He knew that it would fall onto him in the end, but he also felt that it was not really his place to protest. He did start it after all.

"I will tell you." He said, sitting on one of the chairs which were by the table that stood before the window, soon followed by Yato and Takumi who were still standing also.

"I believe that I should be the right one to start."

^(OwO)^

(Misaki's POV)

"Now that was one hell of a long explanation." I saw Shinobu huff as he leaned into the king's embrace.

My head was still trying to accept the fact before, but now that I saw the two together all the doubts I might have had about it disappeared.

"Well, difficult problems usually come with an explanation of the sort." the black-haired man laughed as he kissed Shinobu's head lovingly. "There's still one thing I don't understand though."

"What?" All of us asked. Well, except for Shinobu, who seemed too tired to do so.

"How is it possible that my memories returned?  _All of them_?" Shinobu, who was once again reminded of the fact, purred contentedly, letting his head fall onto the man's shoulder.

"That would be my doing, I believe."

All of the occupants turned around to see one Lord Kamijou. With the one and only main healer of the palace, Nowaki-san.

"So... I do believe that you are in need of some answers. And I think that I am the right person to offer them."


	17. The Miracle They Created Together

(Shinobu's POV)

_I'm craving for your feathery touches,_

_I'm longing to feel your kiss._

_There is no other_ _for me,_ _who matches,_

_W_ _ho can make_ _me feel like this._

^(OwO)^

(Third Person's POV)

" _So... I do believe that you are in need of some answers. And I think that I am the right person to offer them."_

The very appearance of the Lord made the occupants confused. Before they could however react to them somehow the healer who stood by the Lord hurried into the room.

"It's good to see you, Your Majesty." He said at first, bowing to the king, then turning to Shinobu, leaving the fact that the boy was in the king's embrace aside for a moment.

"Is everything all right? Are you taking care of yourself properly? Is the progress smooth?" Nowaki started, taking Shinobu's hand into his, sending a gentle wave of magic into the boy's body. When the pale yellow colour returned as an answer, sparkling around the hand he nodded approvingly.

"Well, you really seem to be all right so far, but how about..." Suddenly Nowaki became aware of the grey eyes of the king staring at him, looking up hesitantly. Seeing the intimacy of the embrace it then clicked in his head, just who was the source of predicament the young prince was in.

"Ah, His Majesty..." He mumbled, then turned to Shinobu, his eyes widening noticeably. "Really?"

Shinobu only nodded slowly, gnawing at his lip. He was nervous beyond possible already.

Just as the healer wanted to say something the voice of the king cut him off.

"Am I the only one who does not have a damn idea about what is being spoken about?" He asked, looking around the room, seeing the averted gazes of all but the Lord who still stood by the door. Then his gaze fell on his lover.

"Care on enlightening me?" He asked, it however had the undertone that said clearly that no is not going to be taken for an answer this once.

"I will, just..." He started, his voice shaking. "Can everyone leave for a moment?"

"Understandable enough." Nowaki smiled as he stood up. He then walked out of the room, his arm around Hiroki's shoulder. He was then followed by the other Lord and his lover as well as the last two of the people in the room.

"Just call us later." Yato said, closing the door behind him.

Silent.

That was how the room could be described once the door clicked shut.

"So...?"

Hearing the voice of his lover, Shinobu became even more nervous. He was biting his lip so hard it bled.

"Aw, come on." Miyagi sighed, leaning closer to the boy. He then let his lips brush the boy's in a soft caress, kissing the blood away. "It can't be that bad." He whispered, gently holding Shinobu's cheeks, so the boy would have to look at him.

"I... I don't know where to start." the prince admitted after a while, his voice shaking.

To that his lover could laugh heartily only.

"How about at the start?"

^(OwO)^

(Miyagi's POV)

As far as I was concerned, my little lover, Shinobu-chin, has always struck me as a confident character.

But seeing him trembling softly, his voice shaking, I had to reconsider my stance a little.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when Shinobu sighed and started speaking again.

"Do you remember what I told you about Yato?" He asked, trying to pry my hands of his face.

"Well, he was the one who inflicted that "flower curse" or whatever on you, wasn't it?"

"Yes that's the one. And he's also the honey-haired man who left the room like ten minutes ago..."

" _What?!_ " I was just about to jump out of the bed and go kill the man when Shinobu-chin stopped me.

"No! Wait! It was not like it seemed." He said, panic in his voice. It was then that I realized that I did not hear any sort of resentment in Shinobu's voice when he spoke of the man. Something had certainly changed.

"Okay, so... How was it then?" I asked, pulling him into an embrace, letting the back of his head rest on my collarbone.

"It was not a curse that he inflicted on me." Shinobu started, once he's settled himself comfortably. "It was a Heritage spell..."

"Why would he do that?"

"He wanted to help me."

"By driving you out of the castle?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow. Not that he could see it, given his position.

"Shush, I  _told_  you it was not like that." I could see from the angle I looked at him how cutely his lips curled into a pout. Then however the nervousness returned.

"Apparently my grandfather from mother's side was a Fire Elemental." Shinobu started again. "Seeing that I have fire powers Yato expected that I will turn out to be one also, and so he sped up the process..."

To prove his point Shinobu let his hand go aflame. I looked at the hand curiously.

"So you really became one? That's really something, but what does it..."

"I'll get to that." Shinobu sighed, cutting me off. Then he continued.

"Given the fact that I was drawn to you like crazy, Yato thought that maybe you are meant to be "Tied" to me."

"Tied?"

"It means being something like being soul mates, destined partners... or so Yato said... and Takumi agreed on it also, he's a Shadow Elemental by the way."

I listened to him intently. I however was a bit worried also. I was aware that if we were not Tied after all, it would mean that my little adorable lover would be taken away from me.

"And...?" I asked, afraid to hear the answer.

"What do you think?" Shinobu smiled sheepishly. That eased my worries.

"How could you know however? I thought that you only got to know that after you were... away." I sighed, I was very regretful about the fact that I was not able to somehow prevent that. And as good as Akihiko's intentions were about it, I had a pretty strong urge to go and strangle him for it.

"Well... Do you remember how you described the colour white?" Shinobu asked, smiling at me.

"That it is a colour of purity, innocence... or something."

"And red?"

"The true love." I replied not getting it. It was at times like these that I actually felt dumb.

"And do you remember how did we get to these colours?" Shinobu then continued, almost purring in my arms.

"It was that rose ta-..." At that I stopped. "Ah, yes. It was the mark of the spell." I realized. Then my smile widened. "But that's great, isn't it? We're meant to be together always."

"It _is_ , but... that's not all I wanted to say about the matter..." Shinobu mumbled.

"And what is this about then? Hiroki's lover boy seemed pretty anxious. Worried about your health like crazy... And what does you health have to do with me?" I asked, remembering the last part of the healer's speech.

"It has everything to do with you..." Shinobu sighed, then extended his hands to take mine. I was already confused about what he was doing. Even more so, when he placed these joined hands on his stomach.

"I... I've changed." He started. I did notice that his form did not look as slender as before, but I thought that I should not mention it. When he started about it however...

"So you've put on few pounds what about that?"

"I'm not fat you old man!" Shinobu all but screeched at me. He then started mumbling an apologize.

"Okay, so you're not, what then?" I was getting more and more confused.

"It has something to do with the Elemental magic. Yato said that it was one of the reason he wanted to bring it out sooner. He however never had the chance to explain himself to me and it just sort of... happened..."

I waited patiently to hear where this was going. I still did not have a clue. Effects of Elemental magic were not a widely known fact.

"It is only possible with the Tied couples... after the successful... ahem,  _mating_." He said silently, his cheeks tinted with a lovely pink.

"But what, related to me and your health would have to do with..." Then however I stopped myself.

'That's not possible... right?' I asked myself. '...but what if?'

I turned to Shinobu who turned in the embrace so he'd look me in the eye, still holding one of my hands, letting our fingers intertwine.

"I..." He started, then lowered his gaze. "I'm pregnant."

^(OwO)^

(Shinobu's POV)

'Would throwing a fire-ball at the palace be less destructive to our relationship?' I asked myself desperately, seeing no expression in my lover's eyes.

"A baby...?" Miyagi whispered as the look on his face remained blank.

'What if he doesn't want it? What if he'd rather be left not remembering? What if...?' My thoughts were cut off when I saw Miyagi move again. I was however too afraid to look at him and see for myself just what reaction did he come up with in the end.

"But that's great!" He said smiling, once he pulled my chin up so I had to look at him in the eyes. I was surprised at the amount of happiness I found in those grey wells of his.

"We're going to have a baby!" He laughed, pulling me into a tight embrace, mindful of my slightly swollen midsection, burying his face in my hair.

"That's amazing love." He whispered, kissing just about every spot from my shoulders up.

It was me who was stunned this time.

"You... you're n-not angry? Or something?" I only got out of myself.

"Why should I be?" Miyagi asked, tilting his head.

"You, you really want the baby?"

"Why would I not? It's about everything I have wished for! Well... with a  _little_  exception, but that has to wait for later I guess." He winked and placed a kiss on my left hand.

I was struck speechless. I was just so happy, so happy that the tears started flowing down my cheeks profusely. In the end I buried my face in the chest before me, soaking the owner's shirt effectively.

"I love you." I whispered, the sound being muffled by the fabric.

"I love you too." Miyagi said in the response. I could hear the tint of amusement in the voice but I cared only a little. Everything was pretty much perfect at that moment.

^(OwO)^

(Third Person's POV)

Once Yoh calmed Shinobu down, soothing him with loving words and gentle kisses, he called the six men back to the room.

"I guess the family is now all happy?" Yato laughed, noting the arm that Miyagi curled around Shinobu's stomach protectively.

"Yeah..." The prince mumbled, his eyes still red from all the crying, but the brightest of smiles on his face.

"All good then, now... Would you return to kindly enlightening us about the memory-gotten-back issue?" Miyagi asked, turning to Hiroki Kamijou who once again took to standing by the door.

"You have a locket in possession now, I believe." The man started with, looking at the king.

"Well, I do. Can I take it as that the reason it ended up with me is you?" Miyagi asked, confused, looking at his long-time friend.

"It is... Have you tried looking inside? If you did not, I advise you to do so now."

That being said Miyagi took the locket, which has been placed on the bed-side table till now, into his hands, and opened it slowly. Everyone, short Kamijou, gasped as a ring fell out of it.

"How did it get to you?" The king whispered, taken aback, tracing the shape of the ring with one of his fingers.

"I found it in your office after you... fell into oblivion."

The rest of the room's occupants were looking between the men not understanding.

"It's not just any ring... well... as "any" as it can be, given its significance, however that is not all that is there to it." The Lord said, seeing the confusion in the other's faces. "It's the ring enhanced by a spell called Chi no Kizuna _[Blood bond]_  and..."

"What?!"

The voice of Shinobu cut the explanation off, attracting the attention of everyone to him.

"You know what that is?" Miyagi asked, squeezing the hand of his mate.

"I'm from a royal family..." the smaller male mumbled."How could I _not_ know?"

This statement made the last two of the unaware in the room gasp.

"For real?" Nowaki asked, eyeing the boy carefully.

"Ah, that's right, you did not know..." Shinobu said only, getting his mistake at that very moment. But he did not dwell on it. It would come up later anyway.

"So... for the unaware ones..." Misaki coughed, the attention on him for the first time. "Could someone explain why is the fact that the ring is spelled with the Chi no Kizuna so shocking?"

"Ah, right. The base of the spell is the blood of the castor and happy memories of the person they wish to be bonded to. I dare say, that Yoh infused the ring with quite a few of them." Hiroki laughed.

"I started with it when I had to return to the palace... then I forgot about it, seeing that it had the connection to Shinobu." The king sighed. "It is usually in a "touchproof" spell, so even when I found the ring later, I did not come into direct contact with it... And so I simply thought that the ring's "content" is empty and started infusing it with new memories."

"And that made the spell even stronger, given that Yoh chose the same person twice, even given the circumstances, not to mention that the Elemental bond has been active then, as far as I can guess from what Yato has said."

"Yes, it has been made for some time already." Miyagi laughed, holding the blushing boy closer. The young prince did not seem to like that the details of their relationship are discussed so openly. Miyagi only found his little lover cute.

"Anyway, I found the ring in your room. Along with sketches..."

"Hey! I do believe these were not on the top of my desk."

"No they weren't but I was hoping to find out what the reason for the failing health of yours is." Sighed the Lord, then decided to continue. "I put two and two together. It was not that hard, seeing how you always sneaked out "to get some fresh air"." The man laughed. "It was actually quite funny to watch." Then his expression returned to a serious one. "I knew that you spent a lot of time with Shinobu...-sama. Only after he left however did I see how bad of an effect it had. Given the bond, it's not much of a wonder."

"I guess." Miyagi sighed only, intertwining the fingers with Shinobu. He could feel how the boy shook slightly and he could just about imagine what was going on in the boy's mind.

"It's not your fault..." He then whispered into Shinobu's ear, so just the boy would hear it. "We were meant to be together anyway."

"I love you..." Whispered the boy back, leaning into the embrace more. "I don't know what I would do if something were to happen to you... or our baby." Then he tilted his head and spoke a bit louder. "What was it about the sketches?"

"Err..."

"Should I show them to you?" Asked the almost-forgotten-by-the-two Lord and smirked at the king.

"Hiroki..." Miyagi sighed, banging his head against the headboard, sighing in resignation. "Whatever..."

The Lord then passed the papers to the boy, who started at them wide-eyed.

"You've really drawn these?" He asked after going through few of them, then locking his eyes with those of his lover.

"Couldn't pass the opportunity, could I?" The king laughed in the end, pointing at the sketch of the boy in his arms, sleeping in  _his_  bed.

Takumi then sighed in resignation.

"Will we ever get to know what the ring means after all?"

"Ah, sorry..." Said the Lord who was trying hard to stop his lover from groping him in the public. "I just wanted to fry him about these a little. Anyway..." He coughed significantly in the direction of the pair on the bed. "... If you'd be as kind as to let me continue..."

Shinobu immediately scowled at that, and only took back his place back, leaning into Miyagi's embrace. The man then only pulled the boy even closer.

" _Anyway_... The Chi no Kizuna is a spell used to bind two people together, in a way that lengthens their lives. It slows down the aging rate of both of the pair. It also makes the aging of the older of the pair even slower, to the point where the two even out in the end, dying in the same moment."

"But if it was like that, wouldn't just people bond themselves together in order to lengthen their lives and then leave each other?" Takumi asked, trying to make a picture of what the Lord was saying.

"That is not possible, it's the downside of the spell, if the two who are bound separate in the end the age returns with twice as force and it was not unusual for people to die of it. That is why it was forbidden to use for almost a whole century. Chi no Kizuna was then allowed for special cases only." Hiroki explained.

"And why did Shinobu-sama mention its knowledge in the connection with the royal family?" Asked Yato. "I was in the higher circles for quite some time and I've never heard of it." The man admitted.

"It was used on arranged marriages before..." Shinobu mumbled. The attention turning on him once again.

"But it's not like they would have many happy memories together if they were forced to marry." Misaki beeped, the rest agreeing.

"That's why it was pretty unstable... They however thought that if they forced the couple to make the Chi no Kizuna, then they would be forced to stay together longer." Shinobu whispered.

"When did you get the information? And whom from?" Miyagi asked. It was hard for  _him_  to get the information of such a bond and he was a king for Gods' sakes.

"Father told me about it. It was before I ran away the first time."

"Why do you connect it to that?" Miyagi asked, feeling of dread creeping up his spine.

"He told me that if I did not have a partner chosen, later in the future... which I guess would be about now... the council would force me into it. That if it came to that, he would not be able to stop them." By the time Shinobu ended his voice was almost inaudible and Takumi was getting worried about the amount of shadows that were gathering in the boy's mind.

"Don't think of it." Said Miyagi, turning the boy so he'd look into the eyes. "You have  _me_  after all." He said with a smile.

"But it's illegal to force an Elemental into a bond of such kind!" Huffed Takumi, annoyed.

"Tell that to them." Shinobu only said sadly, but it was not with the desperation he felt earlier, having Miyagi cheer him up a bit.

"I would love to, actually." Miyagi said, pulling the boy into an almost crushing hug.  _Almos_ _t_ , he had to think of the baby of course. "It's my mate they wanted to force the bond on after all!" He said angrily. Then his voice softened. "Before that however, given that I have the ring already and don't have to go for it..."

To the shock of Shinobu, and not-so-shocked expressions of the rest of the people in the room, the king got out of the embrace he shared with his beloved, got out of bed and kneeled.

"Now, the most beautiful creature that the Gods have ever set in my path, my love, my mate, my sweet little Shinobu. Will you do me an honour of marrying me?"

It did not take even a split second and a crying, yet smiling heap has thrown himself in the arms of the king, pressing a kiss on his lips. "YES!"

"I'm happy to hear that..." Miyagi said holding the ring for a second, closing his eyes and letting it glow for a moment, then slipping the still-glowing ring onto the slender finger of his little lover, and now fiancé. To which the audience started clapping.

"Now... Before we get onto the heavier matters, who else thinks that this calls for a celebration?" He asked smiling widely.

It was not a surprise that the room burst out laughing in agreement.

When they were leaving the room, Miyagi scooped Shinobu in his arms and took to carrying him around for the rest of the day.

^(O.O)^

The whole palace celebrated.

Some were a bit taken aback by the fact that the king has chosen a boy as his "bride", but soon all the people of the kingdom were happy for him and also relieved that the king has finally regained his good health.

Everyone was happy, right?

Unfortunately, no.

There was at least one man whose predominant thoughts were not happy, more like very,  _very_  worried.

'What will  _she_  do if she gets to know?' Worried the man, looking from the window of his room at the king who showed his fiancé to the people happily as the two walked down the main street hand in hand.

'At least there is no one here, who would suspect that this is actually  _him_...' Tried the man to bring at least some light into the situation.

'Or is there?'

The man's thoughts were cut off, when a soft squeak of the door came behind him.

"Keiichi? What are you doing?" Asked the sleepy raven-haired man as he came closer to the man by the window. "Come back to bed." He said sleepily, wrapping his arms around man's waist.

"As you wish Taka." smiled the man, following his lover back behind the door.

The sound of the closing door however did not make the trouble that weighed heavily on Keiichi's mind disappear.

For that to happen, the man had to wait a little longer.

Because one visit to the neighbouring royal family that was to come seemed to be just about the right opportunity, an opportunity for the dark thoughts that plagued his mind for good three years to disappear in the thin air.

_Or in the flames._


	18. With the Love as Gentle as a Feather

(Miyagi's POV)

_I won't ever let it be over,_

_Until the past doesn't hunt his dream_

_I will keep him near and closer_

_He knows just how dear he is to me_

_Just how much to me he can mean._

^(OwO)^

(Third Person's POV)

"I still don't think that this is a good idea." murmured the prince, standing next to a carriage that was supposed to take him and his fiancé to his homeland.

"I dare to disagree." laughed the man who came to his side, offering his hand to the young man. "Now if you allow us, my sweet, we have a family reunion to attend."

"But what if father does not accept this? What if the council decides that we cannot be together? What if sister gets to know that it is me you're bringing with you and sends someone after us? What if…" Shinobu took the offered hand, however that did not change the fact that he rambled until he was cut off by his smiling lover.

"What if the palace turned into a lemon jelly and we had to eat it whole with a spoon?"

"Yes, what if…  _What_?"

"You're being unreasonable, love. You have  _me_  as your life partner. So as for the first, your father wants you happy as his primary thought, wasn't he sad when he told you about how he can't do anything about the council?" Miyagi asked, caressing Shinobu's cheek with his free hand.

"He was…" Shinobu mumbled, feeling ashamed for doubting his father.

"See? As for the second… Your father said that the enforcement of the Chi no Kizuna would happen only if you did not find your significant other and if I'm not that then, what am I? Not to mention that our joining will equal joining two, I dare say, powerful countries… They can't say anything against  _that_ … and if that is not enough separating mates forcefully is a crime punishable in both countries, so we can use that also." his mouth now curling into a wide grin.

"I did not want that to sound as if I'm doubting you…" The prince sniffled, then iwardly started cursing his hormones for making him seem weak.

"Shush, it's okay." Miyagi said only as he wrapped his arms around his now-sobbing lover. He then continued with the speech. "As for your sister… I, if you forgot, was made this country's king, because I've been one of the Lords  _and_  because I was powerful. Do you think that I would be able to live with myself if I could not even protect the two people who matter to me the most? My own family?" He said, pulling Shinobu a bit further from himself so he'd look him in the eyes. "Do you?"

He was only content when he saw his lover shake his head, then pulled him back to an embrace.

"Not to mention that I'm taking two of my Lords with me… along with their lovers of significant power and also the former Lord of the country we're going to… and his mate of course… Do you think that that is a protection enough?"

"Yes, it is…" Came a whispered answer as the pregnant boy wrapped his arms around his lover as tightly as it possible whilst being mindful of his now-visible-but- hidden-by-the-clothes bulging belly. "I love you…"

"I love you too, Shinobu." The king replied softly kissing his fiancé atop his head.

"Now that we've estimated this, do you think that we can finally go?" They suddenly heard from the other carriage, namely from laughing Yato who was looking at the two through the opened door.

"Yeah," said Shinobu confidently "we can go." soon after the carriages took off in the direction of their destination.

The Chie no Oukoku.

^(OwO)^

(Miyagi's POV)

It took us almost three days, but once we arrived to Chie no Oukoku's palace I could say that I was feeling giddy. I could finally see the place Shinobu grew up in.

Shinobu however seemed sick. I held him pretty much the whole travel and I could feel how he was shaking more and more the closer we got to the border. Then just as the capital appeared in our field of vision Shinobu fell asleep, probably exhausted from all the stress.

"Shinobu, love, we're here." I said quietly to the boy in my arms. I was worried about the effect on the baby, but knew that until the meeting was over I could do only a little.

I place a hand at his stomach which housed our baby and smiled at the activity I could feel beneath my hand. I could clearly remember how Shinobu woke me up in the middle of the night to feel the first movements of our little miracle.

I was brought from my thoughts when Shinobu stirred in my arms and opened his eyes. I could clearly see just how much this terrifies him. I was however well aware that if we did not face these fears now it would eat him up slowly.

And that was something I did not have in my intentions to allow.

^(O.O)^

We've decided beforehand that I should face the king at first… then bring him a surprise which was exactly what we did in the end.

"Lovely day isn't it?" I said as I did a nod of courtesy that was only allowable between two kings.

"It certainly is." said the older man on the throne, replying with the same, short nod. He certainly looked older than what I heard his age was. Must have been the loss of his wife and child…

'Well, maybe we can do something to help…'

"I have come today to talk about marriage offer which has been brought up on the last meeting of our countries…"

'On which neither of us was…' I added to myself bitterly, seeing that king Takatsuki's thoughts are about the same.

"I however have to let it known that I have no desire to marry your daughter, as a highly trustworthy source of mine has informed me that she would only want the marriage for the power it would bring…" I saw the face of the man before me was turning expressionless. He probably did not want to discuss the nature of his daughter. "… I want  _love_  from my partner, and give love in return - That's why I never believed in arranged marriages."

I was studying the man before me, how he reacted to my words and I could say that maybe it was cruel to rub it in his face like this, but then I hoped that he would be happy about the return of his son even more so.

"As a last thing about this offer… I  _cannot_  marry your daughter as of turn of latest events. My lovely _fiancé_  certainly would not like that." I had a hard time suppressing a smirk when I heard a collective gasp around the room. It was however not over yet and so I continued.

"I believe that my fiancé is someone who you would certainly want to meet, Your Majesty." I said, raising my right hand. "Come here love."

At these words Shinobu who had a cape, which blocked his face from view, on came to me, taking my right hand with his left, so the ring was in centre of everyone's attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen of Chie no Oukoku, king Takatsuki…" I said, turning to the man. "Allow me to introduce my lovely fiancé…" I raised my other hand to first brush Shinobu's gently, then to rest on the cape.

"Meet the one and only  _Takatsuki Shinobu_." And with these words I pulled the cape of Shinobu's head.

^(OwO)^

(Yato's POV)

To say that people in the room were shocked would be an understatement so heavy that it would better not be said.

Men and women around the room looked at each other, at Shinobu-sama, at king Yoh, at their own king – who became deadly pale – and back at Shinobu-sama.

Then the whispers started to be heard around the room from which the words "the prince" seemed to be heard the most times.

Then suddenly all the attention went to the king who stood up from his throne and slowly descended down the few stairs that led to it.

"Shinobu…" He whispered and extended hand to touch the boy's cheek. "You're alive…"

I saw king Yoh back from the scene a bit, decently, it was a long-awaited family reunion which he did not want to ruin.

Even from my spot I could see the tears glistening in the eyes of both, father and a son, as the older wrapped Shinobu-sama in a hug.

"Daddy…"

It was that one broken sob that brought the people around the room back to life.

They started cheering for the return of the prince, his engagement… whatever came to their minds at the moment.

This event was however far from over.

^(OwO)^

(Miyagi's POV)

When king Takatsuki enveloped his son in a hug I could already see a problem coming. And surely it was only few moments later that the king pulled away a bit and looked at his son searchingly, then at me, and back at Shinobu.

I could see Shinobu mouth something at him, but in the collective cheers the sound did not reach my ears.

I then saw Shinobu look in my direction and I knew it was my place to come.

Soon after we took off in a direction of one of the chambers, for a private talk.

^(O.O)^

"So… can something of this be explained to me?" was the first think the king asked when we came into one of the room, followed by our six companions.

"Daddy I…" Shinobu wanted to start, but I could see just how much he was hurting about this and so I took the lead instead.

"I believe that this starts when Yato here…" I waved in the direction of the said man "… placed a Heritage Spell at Shinobu. It made him unable to reproduce by the means of a woman."

"Not that I'd want to…" I heard Shinobu grumble quietly and smiled, then continued.

"It brought out the Elemental blood which he inherited from the mother's side of the family. Thus he would be in need of mate, his "Tied" as to say… I've learned something important from Takumi…" Significant wave of hand "… and that is that whether the Elemental, which he is also, is a man or woman, they always search for a dominant male… which reminds me, maybe you should look better into the past of your family… Anyway, the whole point in this was that Yato deduced that since Shinobu was so drawn to the man he met before, he will most probably be  _the one_."

"And that one…"

"Would be me, yes." I answered the king's question then continued "I've had a vacation around the time Shinobu ran away the first time… after I saved him from, let's say not a nice situation, I took care of him after he passed out… and we somehow ended up together. However before we could get further in our relationship we were forced apart."

I took a breath as I did not like to speak about the past, looking at the king who seemed to still be listening intently and so I continued.

"Whilst here, he was forcefully driven away, in our kingdom there were problems with our neighbouring country, Akuma no Oukoku. Due to that we had to close our borders for a time being and… I had a memory suppression placed upon me, making me forget about Shinobu…"

"But how…" King seemed to be getting lost in it, but I only decided to continue still.

"It was to that that Shinobu came to me… I however was somehow subconsciously drawn to Shinobu and in the end we ended up together,  _again_." I smiled tightening my grip on Shinobu.

"However when everything was at its best… I was left un-remembering again, and Shinobu left the palace… it was only after we woke up after the separation induced coma that I learned of our being mates. Shinobu meanwhile ran into Takumi and Yato and was taken care of, however fell into the coma also… later than me however as he…" I looked at Shinobu, seeking approval, however he only stood up and sighed.

"Daddy I…, before I left I got to know, that I…" He sighed again, then inhaled sharply, gathering courage. "I'm pregnant."

The king stared at him for a moment, then spoke. "So when I hugged you, that… Was not a figment of my imagination?"

"No…" Shinobu shook his head, but I could see his nervousness. "That was the baby."

Shinobu then took the cape off revealing a swollen and distended stomach, heavy with our child. It always amazed me when I saw it.

King hesitantly stood up from his chair and came closer to Shinobu, placing a hand at his belly. It was kind of funny how he retreated his hand when the baby obviously kicked him.

"A grandchild…" I heard him mumble, then he engulfed Shinobu in an embrace. "I'm so proud of you…" He said when he pulled away a bit and took his son's face in his palms, wiping away the small tears which were now falling down Shinobu's cheeks. "And I'm sure your mother would be also."

It was a perfect moment full of family love and I could say that Shinobu felt like that also, however all came to stop when the door suddenly opened and an obviously angry woman, who could I only guess to be Shinobu's sister, by the similarities, stomped inside the room, almost screeching.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!"


	19. The Evil to Run From, The Evil to Face

(Shinobu's POV)

_Always have me here,_

_Let me stand beside you._

_Always keep me near_

_I know that's what you'll do._

^(OwO)^

(Takumi's POV)

" _WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"_

Everyone was stunned for a while, not knowing what to do, when the screeching woman entered the room and it was engulfed in silence. That was until the king spoke.

"Risako, sweetheart, look, Shinobu has returned to us." king Takatsuki said with a smile, however I could see something hard in his expression. It made me wonder whether  _maybe_  the king knew about what role his daughter had in the whole "Shinobu dying" case, or at least suspected so. It was her, after all, who had came to him, bad-mouthing his only son once the Heritage spell was placed.

"I can see that." the woman everything but spat out. She could clearly see that the majority of the room would not believe her act of innocence anyway.

"You don't seem too pleased to hear that…" I heard king Yoh say, in a voice that reeked of his displeasure with that woman.

"And who are you, may I ask? You don't see to be very respectful of this country's royalty. Unless you sleep with them, apparently…" She said, her eyes sliding to Shinobu-san who was held in king's arms, and seemed to be leaning into the embrace as much as humanly – or Elementally for that matter – possible.

"It is you who is not paying any respect here, Risako." came the voice of the enraged father of the excuse for a princess, cutting off whatever king Yoh wanted to say to that. "And you apparently don't even seem to be aware of the important events that take place in the palace… and about that last comment of yours… I can only say that I hoped that me and your dearly missed mother raised you better than that."

"Not to mention that Shinobu is on higher position in society than you are." I heard Yato next to me say. It cost him the enraged princess to send a freezing air into his face. Just as I saw Yato's lips start turning purple the effect was suddenly annulled by flickers of flames that started to dance in the vicinity of the two. For Yato to make him warmer, for the princess as a warning.

"You don't have the right to do that,  _sister_." Shinobu-san said, turning the attention of not only his sister at him. He freed himself out of the protective arms of the king and advanced in the direction of his hated sister. He then stopped in front of her, not in the arm's length though, he was aware that he had more than himself to think about.

"I am saddened at how greedy for power you are… Not to mention that he…" He waved his hand in direction of his fiancé. "… is the man  _you_  wanted the council to negotiate your  _hand in marriage_  for! It only shows me that you only go for your goal, not caring about what "hurdles" you have to go over… or under in your case." Shinobu-san said, his eyes narrowing as the sparkles still dancing around the princess' form increased on intensity. It brought up the shocked face of the woman.

"King Yoh?" she asked, disbelieving. When she got a response of a short nod she turned pale. Then however before anyone could say anything more to it a voice rang out from the now opened door.

"Oh my… am I interrupting something?"

I looked at the man whom I did not know, wondering just who might it be. I got a clear answer when I heard the soft voice of Misaki-san.

"Sumi-san?"

^(OwO)^

(Third Person's POV)

Everyone was stunned to see the one and only Lord Sumi Keiichi at the doorstep… everyone except the king it appeared as the man addressed the silver-head.

"Ah, Keiichi, good to see you. I almost wondered whether you were too wrapped up in your task to come back."

"Daddy?" Shinobu asked with eyes wide open. "What is the meaning of this? You know Lord Sumi?"

"Lord? Ah, you got yourself the position your father had, clever of you, but then again, it's not like we can deny you power, can we?" the king laughed whilst the rest of the room stared at him. "But to answer the question, yes I do know him… why do you seem so shocked though?" then he looked around. "Why most of you do?"

"I'm afraid that's my fault…" Sumi started as he walked deeper into the room, finally closing the door behind him.

"When at Yume I had to keep people and creatures from myself, and given my powers I used them in opposite way they're meant to be… Pretty effective if you ask me."

"Ah, that… I guess that power is more a curse then blessing, don't you think so? Anyway, what can you tell me of the events that has happened in the – how many has it been? – three years? It's almost time for out third informative meeting." The king laughed. "But I guess that this one will be the most interesting of them all."

The merry laugh of the king still kept most of the room quiet, no one actually understood the situation. It was then that Risako tried to escape, however was stopped when a wall of flames appeared in front of her, just inches from burning her whole front. The same then appeared right in front of the only escape routes – two doors which lead out of the room – as Shinobu spoke, not even looking at his sister.

"I'm not done with you sister, not yet… However as I seem to be as lost as the other people and Elemental…" He winked at Takumi. "… here… Would you  _please_  enlighten us Sumi-san? I'm  _very_  interested in what your role has been in this whole mess, if I say so for myself, and I think others are  _dying_  to know the story also."

Others looked from Shinobu to the Lord Sumi, as if high lightening what the royal fiancé has just said. It made the Lord sigh in resignation before he started to speak.

"Okay, so… As you all probably understood, I was sent to the Yume no Oukoku by His Majesty… What you don't know is that it was to take a look at king Yoh." He sent a bow of courtesy in the said king's direction. "I was to check whether he would be a desirable partner for either of his children… Well one child only after the… incident." He sighed looking at the young prince who has once again took to reside in his older fiancé's arms.

"The loss of you, Shinobu-sama has been a terrible one. When you disappeared the day the palace went aflame there were already suspicions about there being some more reason about the whole case. It was only later that we realized that your sister has a power we did not know of. A power to manipulate mind."

Everyone turned to the woman who was now sitting on the floor, the flames still dancing around her dangerously.

"If not for her, the king would not even think about having you disinherited, as it does not have to be a man and woman, who stand as the ruling pair in our country. As for that, let me mention your maternal side of the family. Your Elemental grandfather had another man beside him, even if most people did not realize that, given the fact that they never really saw him. Due to an unknown reason he became very sick and died while your mother was still a child and his mate followed him soon after. After that the ruling of the country fell to your paternal grandfather, under the condition of your mother having the place as the queen once your father takes throne. It turned out for the best, as you may see."

The room was silent, listening to the man. They were all interested in the story.

"However to not run from the reason I'm saying this. I only found out later that princess Risako seemed always angry about the thought of her younger brother as a ruler and so she decided the country would be better off with him… You get the implication, right?" Sumi said, as he turned to look around the room and was answered by nods.

"It is why she took her chance and used her powers… and in the end drove Shinobu-sama away." He stopped for a while to look at the prince, then sighed and continued. "I however did not know that at the time and had to evaluate king Yoh for the possible marriage still. You can however only imagine my surprise when four months after Shinobu-sama was pronounced dead he suddenly appeared at the palace in Yume. It was then that I realized that  _maybe_  there was more to the story. I searched for information and eventually - from the tidbits of conversations and rumours I heard - I got the whole picture of what actually happened, including the memory loss, the role of princess Risako, and the relationship that has formed again… I was thinking of going and informing the king, when suddenly it happened again and Shinobu-sama ran away from the palace. It was when he ran past me, the fleeting touch we shared that I got to know about the child."

"A CHILD?!" Risako suddenly screeched from her position on the floor, but was stopped from standing up by yet another flame wall.

"Ah, yes, my bad, Risako-sama, you were not aware. I am afraid that there is nothing you can do at the moment, nor can you be of use any longer. Shinobu-sama, as you may have gathered is betrothed to king Yoh, and is carrying the heir of both of the countries. Quite an important person, the one you wanted to kill is, ne?"

The woman only stared silently, already planning what she could do to shut up the man, there however was not a need to do so. Sumi has already lost interest in the woman and spoke to the rest of the people in the room yet again.

"Let me also use this opportunity and allow me to apologize." Sumi said softly. "I have been ruthless when it came to keeping people away, and I have hurt many…" His eyes slid to Misaki for a moment. "And for that I am sorry."

The speech of the man was followed by silence. That was until Shinobu started laughing.

Everyone turned to the prince as if he was out of his mind, however neither actually thought so.

"I always knew you're strange, thought you cruel at time, given you insulted the only friend I had at the time." Shinobu smiled as he walked to the window and looked outside. "However I believe that what you say is meant from the heart, as it was within your possibilities to go and tell my sister, making yourself rich and me dead, yet you did not… You took the hard way and in the end it allowed me to return home. For that I am grateful… and I think that if you explain yourself even others in the Yume will agree with me, I'll gladly support you."

It was a nice moment. A moment of forgiveness, one where the past could be forgotten and only the future was thought to matter…

However…

It was also that fleeting moment, when Shinobu stood by the window adoring the view of his dearly missed birth-country, when suddenly the enraged princess lunged at her little brother before anyone could do anything with it, past the flames which were weakened by the lessened concentration of the Elemental.

"You little pest! You've ruined everything!" She screamed her touch turning freezing as she reached for the pregnant boy's neck.

There was no time for any fight back, it was too late for any counter attack, and so, whilst the rest of the room could only watch, the mad princess caused both of them to fall through the palace's window.

The shattered pieces of glass falling with them.


	20. Hurt Will Soon Disappear Without a Trace

(Third Person's POV)

_Could fire defeat_ _the ice,_

_For sake of future without flaws?_

_Could mighty power of one true love,_

_Defy the mother nature's laws?_

^(OwO)^

(Third Person's POV)

Melancholic.

There was no other way to describe the setting that could be seen not far from the palace. On the place of the last rest of all the members of the Chie no Oukoku rulers' families.

The silent stony graves and the marble statues of angels guarding them.

The green trees which stood there, providing a shade.

The flowers which were overtaking the grassy parts, trying to lift up the gloominess of the place with their colours.

And  _him_...

He who stood by the newest grave, mourning silently, was the one who underlined the gloominess of the scenery completely.

He was standing there, head bowed, not wanting company in his misery, not uttering a word every time he came here, except one...

" _Why?_ "

"Why?" He asked the unresponsive loft beneath his feet softly, killing the silence which never left the place, not expecting an answer.

It was because of that that it came as a surprise to him when a voice rang from somewhere behind his back.

"It was a destiny my dear... How it was meant to be..." a voice of a woman had said. It caused him to turn around and face its source.

"Do you truly think so?" He could only whisper as he turned to the grave yet again, the initial surprise of not hearing the person approach fading, seeing who the person was.

"More than you may think, dear child, cards had told me long time ago." The woman smiled, enjoying the air of mystery the eerie words gave her. "And  _my_  cards are never wrong, Shinobu-san."

"You mean like this one?" The prince asked as he pulled a card out of the folds of his clothes. The card which was given to him by the very same woman he was just speaking to. The card he took to carrying around as a lucky charm.

"Ah, the "Happily ever after" card... yes, exactly like that one child. It is a confirmation of a once in a lifetime chance." The woman smiled to herself mysteriously, true to her name.

"But why did  _she_  turn out like that then?" Shinobu asked desperately as he waved his hand in the direction of the lone grave in the corner of the family graveyard. "Why didn't she have a chance?"

At that question the look in Madame Mysteria's eyes hardened.

"You mean  _yet another_  one, my dear? She used up her chances long before that day, believe my words. It was _her_  choice to lead the life she did, thus it was  _her_  fault that it cost her her own life in the end.  _She_  chose to be like that. I know it is hard to accept it." She said as she run her hair through her dark hair.

Shinobu only swallowed dry as a recollection, of what he wanted to remember in his life the least, hit him.

_"You little pest! You've ruined everything!" Risako screamed her touch turning freezing as she reached for the pregnant boy's neck._

_There was no time for any fight back and so, whilst the rest of the room could only watch, the mad princess caused for both of them to fall through the palace's window, t_ _he shattered pieces of glass falling with them._

_It was only on the subconscious level that Shinobu was aware of the voices that came from the room where he's been, just split second ago. He thought he could recognize a voice of Miyagi somewhere between these._

_'I'm sorry Miyagi...' was Shinobu's only thought when he realized that._

_Then it was only black._

"It's only been a month... Yet it still hurts, you know? Knowing that I won't ever see her again. She was still family, even when she was like that. I only wish I had realised that sooner, maybe something could have been done for her..." Shinobu whispered only, the emotion of the memory not being something he longed to remember, being the hurtful one it was.

Then however her expression softened as she reached out to stroked away the lone tear that escaped Shinobu's eye. "You've always been too good for your own sake." she sighed. "... but that is one of the things that is so special about you..."

To that Shinobu only pressed his lips into a thin line, staring at the cold stone before him all the more sad.

It was in this state of rumination that he reached to stroke his heavily pregnant belly absent-mindedly. And it was when he felt a kick to his hand that his features softened. He may have not even realized how tense he was until then, however when he felt his child, the proof of his love to his Tied, he could not but smile.

Seeing that the woman next to him was satisfied.

"He's coming." She only said, placing her hand on the young "queen"'s shoulder. "It's time for my retreat. My role is finally over. Time to disappear, I like to say."

And she did, true to her word.

She disappeared before Shinobu turned around, leaving the young man confused.

The confusion was however long since forgotten when he saw a figure approach from the very direction he was looking at.

"Miyagi!" He exclaimed excitedly as he half-ran, half-waddled in the direction of the man, leaving the grave which had fresh flowers on it behind.

The grave he himself insisted on being done. Even if so far away from the rest of the family.

The grave which only had name and few words carved on it.

_Takahashi Risako_

_May her soul be reborn pure_

^(OwO)^

(Miyagi's POV)

Before I could reach the graveyard I already had arms full of my adorable pregnant soon-to-be-husband.

"Miyagi..." A blissful sigh escaped his lips, then he started giggling for some reason. "Where have you been?" He asked reaching out, only to take a few petals that's been stuck in my hair apparently. "You look funny."

"Ah, just preparing something... Would you care to join me?" I asked, offering him my arm to hold onto.

"Pfft, that you even ask is something I don't understand." Shinobu smiled as he took the offered arm and we walked down the road, leaving the gloomy part of the garden behind us.

It however did not stop my mind from leading myself to the memory of that day.

The day that has almost cost me my fiancé and our child.

The vivid memory full of shattered glass...

_... and red._

^(OwO)^

(Third Person's POV)

_"Shinobu!" Miyagi cried out desperately, only being able to look with the other people the room as the mad princess had pushed the pregnant boy through the window, and caused herself to fall down also. They did not even have the time to summon their powers and a sickening crunch could already be heard._

_They all ran out of the room to the lower level except for Takumi who took Yato and, seeing the vine that was draped from the window all the way down to the garden, he took the two of them the quickest way possible. Through shadows._

_"There's so much blood." Takumi said whispering as they appeared on the courtyard, only few meters from the fallen young generation of the Chie no Oukoku's royalty. Yato however did not listen to his lover for once, he was already down on his knees, checking the vital points of the two blood-soaked figures._

_It however did not have to be even a trained eye for one to see that the princess was gone. Her skull was crushed, and her legs and ribs seemed to be broken on more places that would ever be repairable, her arms however were not too harmed. They were however wrapped around her brother, in what one may have even call a protective gesture, shielding him. She's held her brother to her chest a small smile gracing her lips as the living blood left her body._

_It was when Yato deemed the princess as dead and moved onto checking Shinobu thoroughly when the rest of the informed came, lead by the running king Yoh._

_"How... How is Shinobu? And the baby?" the man asked immediately, still trying to catch his breath. As he did so, yet another person came, led by Sumi._

_"Nowaki should be of help also... I think it's the reason Lord Kamijou sent him here..." He explained quickly as he shown the healer to the injured. No one seemed to be in intention of asking questions. The knew that questions took time... and the time at that moment was a valuable thing._

_After the black-haired healer had reached the point he immediately kneeled next to the other healer, as they checked the prince together. Miyagi did not miss the frown that marred both of their faces._

_"What is wrong? A-.. Are they...?" Miyagi could not bring himself to ask that question whole._

_"Well, the baby is fine so far, Shinobu-san must have altered his magic to protect the baby as the utmost priority, however... Shinobu-san's whole body is really damaged, even when Risako-san took most of it... quite a few of his bones are broken, however that would be manageable still, however his organs are starting to give out... and once they do, the baby may not make it even so, it's still too early for it to come..." Nowaki said deep in thoughts, almost not getting just how much the words were affecting the king, as well as the others who stood near. He only realized when Misaki started sobbing, hiding his face in Usami's chest as the Lord hugged him close, whispering something to his ear._

_"I'll do what I can, we both will..." Nowaki said, acknowledging Yato also like that. "... but I can't promise you a thing." He then turned to the boy on which Yato has been working already._

_"Please, save them..." the king could only beseech the two doctors silently, as he fell down to his knees next to Shinobu, caressing the boy's blood-stained angelic face. "I'll spend my whole life repaying you, if I have to, but please... Please..."_

_He did not even realize it when tears started falling down his cheeks slowly._

_^(O.O)^_

_The two healers worked on Shinobu for a long time... and it was at the dawn that they deemed their work finished. They sent someone to fetch the king who has pretty much passed out few hours earlier, given the pressure of the situation._

_When the king came, looking few years older from the worries, they were happy that it was not an information of death that they could give him... Not to mention that he would be affected also. Maybe even dead if they did not make it. The ties between the king and the prince were that strong._

_"Shinobu-san is out of the danger of death." Yato announced, smiling softly when the king's form eased as the tension left his body. "He'll however be sleeping for a while, his organism needs time to make the remaining reparations itself."_

_"For how long?" Miyagi asked as he looked at his whole world who was now sleeping on one of the beds in the palace's infirmary._

_"I can't tell for sure, however I expect week at the very least..." Nowaki said only. It was a relief to see the king a bit more cheerful again._

_"It is mostly because of Risako-san, that he escaped so lightly, because she shielded him, just to tell you. She helped a lot... if we put aside the fact that she was the cause of the fall in the first place. Maybe at the last of her moments, she remembered her ties to her own family." The healer said as he left the silent king alone with his fiancé._

_He only hoped that the boy will wake up soon._

_^(O.O)^_

_"Miyagi?" Came the soft, almost inaudible sound which resonated through the almost empty infirmary as effectively as the church bells would._

_And it made certain king rise into attention._

_"Shinobu?" The man whispered softly, almost not believing his very own ears and eyes. "You're awake?"_

_Suddenly Shinobu sat up quickly._

_"The baby!" He exclaimed as his hands reached for his rounded midsection. "Is the baby okay?" He asked desperately when no words came from his lover._

_"Yes, it is, but we were so close to losing it..." the king whispered as he hugged his future consort closer to him. "I'm so happy you're all right."_

_"What about..." Shinobu started, he however guessed already how his sister's life had ended. The silence from Yoh only confirmed it for him._

_"Don't worry about it..." Miyagi said silently as he hugged the boy even closer when his eyes filled with tears. "There's nothing you could have done about it... It was not your fault." He whispered._ _The boy's tears however were not stopped from falling. They did so silently, the grief immense._

_It took Miyagi some time before managed to calm the boy down, being as distraught as he was. "Don't think about it." He whispered to his ear when the tears stopped. "We have more important things to think about."_

_"Like?" Shinobu asked as he rubbed his eyes, to stop the tears which threatened to fall yet again._

_To that the king only laughed softly as he caressed the bulge on his lover's belly lovingly._

_"Like the baby..." He said, as he inched closer and placed a kiss on the boy's lips. "... and our wedding, of course."_

^(O.O)^

And so it happened... little over weeks after Shinobu woke up, and almost six weeks after that horrific experience that the two decided to bind themselves together in the last way yet untried. In the most official one. In the holy binding of matrimony.

Neither of the two had expected the huge crowd that seemed to come to celebrate their day with them... however it was no wonder, after all, it is not everyday that two powerful countries join together through the bond of love, and not just an arranged marriage.

It was a marriage truly to be celebrated.

^(OwO)^

(Shinobu's POV)

"Welcome, ladies, gentlemen and creatures. We have gathered here today to celebrate the love these two men share, to see them step onto the path of their collective and hopefully everlasting journey... We have come today to see them being joined in the holy binding of matrimony." the official started in a loud voice and all the little chatter that has been going on until then had stopped.

I however paid only a little attention to that. I was looking into the gray eyes of the man before me, basking in the love I could see there... and before I knew it I could see Miyagi's lips move, as he started talking.

"Shinobu, had someone said to me years ago that I would fall in love with a being as pure and loving as you are I wouldn't have believed them, thinking "How can someone like that love  _me_  of all people?" yet I am here now... looking into your beautiful eyes which I hope our child would inherit and I  _know_. I know that this is meant to last for ever more." Miyagi stopped for a while and then the brightest of smiles overtook his features.

"My dear Shinobu. You are the one who I want to laugh and cry with, to build a family with and rule over the extended family which the people of our land will always be to us. Let our child have a lot of brothers and sisters, because I know you want a big family. Let the last breath I'll ever take be a one in which I'll say your name, I know you'll be with me then, because we're simply meant to be. You're the one who completes me. The one I'll always cherish. I love you."

I felt the tears that started running down my cheeks not even halfway through the speech and I did not bother to sweep them away. I only continued to look into those gray eyes I've always loved so much, even when it was my turn to start talking.

"Yoh..." it felt a bit strange on my tongue to say his name, however it was a good strange and so I continued, placing my hands on the sides of Miyagi's face. "... had someone said to me years ago that I would get to marry out of love I would not believe them, thinking "Does true love even exist?" yet I am here now looking into your eyes, entangling my fingers in your black hair which I have always loved so much to play with and I _know_. I know that  _this_ , is what true love is, the one thing I've always searched for." I took a shuddering breath, trying to blink the tears away - unsuccessfully - and continued.

"My dear Yoh, my Miyagi. You are the one who I want to laugh and cry with, to build a family with and rule over the extended family which the people of our land will always be to us. Let our child have a lot of brothers and sisters, because a big family is a one filled with smiles and laughter. Let the last breath I'll ever take be a one in which I'll say your name, I know you'll be with me then, because we're simply meant to be. You're the one who completes me. The one I'll always cherish. I love you."

As I finished saying those words I felt a wave of magic wrap around fingers of our left hands which we've intertwined at some point, a white ribbon appeared, seemingly wrapping our wrists together and then disappeared in a wisp of air. The official seemed content and turned to the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, creatures. Let me introduce you our newly bonded pair... Their Majesties King Yoh and his Royal consort Shinobu!" the man said and almost at the exact moment he did so the crowd started to cheer.

I overlooked the crowd and smiled. I was happy I was there, as was I happy to get all that support.

That however did not change the fact that my feet were killing me.

"Miyagi..." I whispered in the direction of my husband, causing him to lean closer.

"What is it my dear?" He asked smiling.

'Oh, how I love his smile... now where was I?.. Ah...'

"My feet hurt..." I mumbled, not wanting anyone to hear. As a response Miyagi started laughing heartily and I started to blush. Once he stopped however, and I was already preparing myself to berate at him he swept me of my feet. Literally.

After that he took to carry me around for pretty much the whole day.

Quite sweet if you were to ask me.

^(O.O)^

The whole wedding was... exhausting, to be sincere. However there was nothing that has ever quite compared to it ever before, even if a lot of it seemed to blur together a bit for me.

There however was something that had stood out.

It was the bouquet on our wedding table.

I recognised the flowers from which the bouquet was done... they were the flowers from one of which came the petal stuck in Miyagi's hair when he came for me. Somehow the idea of him doing something like this for me made me giddy.

And so I went happily through the day. The image of the bouquet stuck firmly in my mind.

The bouquet made of red and white roses.

^(OwO)^

(Third Person's POV)

"Why were you even at the palace Nowaki-san? Why was it that you were "sent" to the palace just when it was needed?" Takumi asked the healer as they stood at the back of the hall, looking bemused at the king and his new spouse as they fed each other the wedding cake. It painfully reminded Takumi of the possibility of the whole wedding not even coming to be. He simply  _had_  to ask.

Hiroki who stood by his taller lover answered for him. "I sent him." He said simply.

"But... how could you know?"

"I was told..." Hiroki answered, however seeing the questioning face the younger man made at his answer he sighed at continued.

"I have a powers of telekinesis and telepathy... as you may or may not know. The thing is, whilst I can send my thoughts to people or hear them without their knowing... I however was spoken to this once... A voice of woman told me, to send Nowaki also. That a "happy ending" depended on his presence. I did not know what it meant at that time, however I had a feeling that the voice was right... and the rest you know." Hiroki trailed of, his eyes fastening on the young couple also.

"They look happy together, don't they?" He asked.

"Yes, they do indeed."

^(O.O)^

_One month later_

"You did it love, she's here." Miyagi whispered softly into his exhausted husband's ear, holding their daughter who has been just placed in his arms.

"A girl? We have a daughter?" The brown-haired youth asked as he turned to his mate, reaching out for his child who was letting the world know just what a pair of lungs she had. He then started crying in happiness when the child's little fingers curled around his own.

"She's so tiny." Shinobu laughed through the tears, which were only stopped when a gentle kiss was placed on his lips.

"Go to sleep now, she will still be here when you wake up." Miyagi smiled as he watched his love's dropping eyes.

"She better be."

^(O.O)^

_After that the life went on peacefully..._

"Ah, Sumi-san..." Shinobu smiled as he passed the silver-haired man and his lover in one of the corridors of the palace. "It's good to see you." He found the face Sumi made whenever he talked to him unbearably funny.

"Good... to see you too..." The man replied slowly, still apparently unused to the attention different from a loathing one aside from what he had in Takahiro.

"Well... I've got to go... See you around, you too Takahiro-san, say hello to Misaki for me if you see him, please. Bye..."

With that Shinobu left, leaving the stunned man and his equally stunned lover behind.  _That_  was only the start of their tentative friendship.

^(O.O)^

_Even after a month..._

"You're not touching me ever again!" Misaki all but screamed at the Lord usami as they walked from the Healer. It was there that they were met by Shinobu, Miyagi and their little princess Suzu  _[means bell]_.

"What happened?" asked Shinobu curiously as he heard only the last sentence of their conversation.

"He knocked me up!" Misaki wailed dramatically, however the Royal consort could see the underlining happiness in the boy's face... Why the fuss then?

"But that's great, is't it? It just means that you have to speed up the wedding preparation a bit. How far along are you?"

"A month and half..." Misaki mumbled only.

"Ah, you're like me then... I also got knocked up on my fir..." the rest of the sentence was muffled by blushing Misaki's hand. Only when the flower-user saw that his friend had no intention of continuing the sentence did he put the hand away.

"But that means that you have over seven months! Why so... dramatic?"

"I've got only like six and half, you know?" Misaki sighed as he shot a look at the Lord who stood by him. "Damn you." he hissed through his teeth... it was more in a teasing manner though.

"But how...?" Shinobu started, however was cut off by Miyagi.

"It's multiples, isn't it?" To the question he got two nods from his and Shinobu's common friends.

"What a fun!" Shinobu clapped, however silently, mindful of his sleeping daughter.

They then engaged themselves in a lively conversation about the possibility of identical triplets, occasionally laughing at Misaki's dumbstruck face.

Shinobu was  _so_  looking to how it would turn out.

^(O.O)^

_Even after a year..._

"Ah, the joy of children." were Yato's first words as he came with Takumi into the room of the "Majesties" which was at the moment decorated in various shades of pink, lilac and orange.

"Nah, don't be jealous." Shinobu laughed as he all but hugged Miyagi's arm as the man held their little princess who was just celebrating her first birthday to his chest with the other one.

"No need for jealousy, really." Yato smirked, for which he received a raised eyebrow from Shinobu. "We're already awaiting our own." Yato smiled in response as he took his lover by the waist and pulled him closer, which caused the said lover to blush.

"Really?" Shinobu smiled as he looked at his fellow Elemental for confirmation. When he got a shy nod in response he all but squealed with joy as he enveloped him in hug.

"Congratulations! I'm so happy for you!"

"I think Takumi-kun likes breathing Shinobu." Miyagi laughed as he watched his husband hug the air out of the black-haired boy.

"Ah, sorry, I wouldn't want to hurt the baby." Shinobu mumbled as he pulled back.

"I don't think a hug can kill a baby." Yato laughed as he looked at the "queen". It was because of that that he noticed the mischievous, yet immensely happy smile that has overtaken the boy's features.

"And how about two babies?" He asked smiling.

"What two..." Miyagi has always been the one to catch on quickly. "Oh! Really?" He asked as he turned to his husband.

"Yes, I only found out few hours ago."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"Uhmm... surprise?" Shinobu smiled nervously, gnawing at his lower lip. He however soon has his lips occupied differently as a kiss was placed on them by a man who has enveloped him in a hug.

"That's really great." He whispered into his lover's ear.

"I'm so happy you think that..." came the answer. "... And that's only the second one, remember? We're only the start..."

"A start of what?" The king asked, confused.

"Of building our big happy family!" Shinobu laughed as he wrapped his arms around the man's neck.

"Yes, it certainly is..."

_See?_

^(^.^)^

**_Epilogue_ **

Once upon a time, there was a kingdom.

It was a kingdom where magical beings lived among humans, where everyone wanted to live, under the supervision of a wise and fair king Yoh and his Royal Consort Shinobu, whom everyone loved.

The name of the kingdom was Yume no Oukoku

_In that kingdom everyone lived happily ever after…_

^(^0^)^

_Tied to one another,_

_For ever and for more,_

_Bound by their willing hearts,_

_By their very own core._

_They'll go through life together,_

_There's a lot that they will see,_

_Tied by the wills of all the Gods,_

_By Ties of Destiny._

_**~ The End ~** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, with this much-longer-than-average chapter I am saying goodbye to you dearies, I hope that you liked the story and will hopefully choose another of my stories to read (Only one other is about Junjou Romantica so far though, it's "Romantica" couple centered.)  
> Until sometime in the future~  
> See ya~ ( "-.-)/


End file.
